LAMB closing its existing campuses and consolidating to one campus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The upkeep of one building, even if it's bigger, is less costly than multiple campuses. The school can feel more unified when on one campus. Having worked at a school with multiple campuses, once we combined, the school felt more unified and connected when we merged into one location. We felt more like a community, and the school was stronger overall. I hope the same for LAMB.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't we asking the LAMB administration to do BETTER this time? We really can't do better than a facility that is probably too small, in an inconvenient location far from transit?

Because this is a great space and it will be impossible to find something better? Can you name one location/building where you think that the school can be located and be convenient for ALL families? There is no such place and I for one think that Kingsbury is as close to perfect as the school can get.

Agree. I think it is a great space. Plus I think people who are asking the administration to do better are living in a dream world, where there is a wealth of school-ready buildings just waiting to be snapped up. There is a reason that the school has been looking for a permanent location since they expanded back in 2011. There isn't an abundance of space out there. And it isn't any further than public transit than the current locations.

What is the point of combining the entire school? I don't see any savings and not a single poster has addressed this.

You'd need fewer admins -- no need for a family 'coordinator' or ELD supervisor at each campus, wouldn't need as many assistant principals. Utility and cleaning costs will go down (same number of classrooms but fewer offices, one gym/auditorium), food service costs will go down a little because of delivering larger amount to one location.

Lamb's "community" has been destroyed forever. It is not a welcoming community, and as evidenced by the dismissive statements of the administration, any "newcomers" are not welcome. There is a reason new families were not welcome at the meetings regarding Kingsbury. That reason is that the administration does not care about you at all. Remember they were "tricked" by the rapid gentrification of DC. A unified campus will only make these things worse. Look at this thread- do you see any warmth at all? It's every man for himself at lamb. Shoving this move down the throats of parents will only make things worse.

PP - are you pulling your child(ren)? I dont see how I could ever leave my son somewhere if I felt the level of negativity about the place that you feel about LAMB.

Well glad YOU have other options. We don't because Cristina concealed this move after we declined other choices.

Did something happen where you were banned from your IB DCPS school? That's awful.

[Anonymous]

Don't be deliberately dense or a jerk PP. primary education isn't guaranteed for PK3 or 4. Some DCPS schools aren't acceptable for some lamb parents.

But as usual, as you can see, here is yet another example of rude, thoughtless, exclusionary lamb parent.

What a jerk statement, PP. How unsurprising. No wonder the school is being torn apart with people like this PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't we asking the LAMB administration to do BETTER this time? We really can't do better than a facility that is probably too small, in an inconvenient location far from transit?

Because this is a great space and it will be impossible to find something better? Can you name one location/building where you think that the school can be located and be convenient for ALL families? There is no such place and I for one think that Kingsbury is as close to perfect as the school can get.

This is only because you live down the street. It is at the very top of DC away from downtown.

I see no point to merge into one giant school. There is no savings since the cost of merging into one school will be paid by the families who don't live nearby. Nothing that has been said about Kingsbury is remotely placed in reality. we don't even know if the neighborhood will accept raising the occupancy by 100% (and the subsequent 600 extra cars on the road- the original Kingsbury center had kids bussed in).

We don't know what will happen with the historic board. Whether the plans will be approved. We haven't seen real blue prints. We don't know if the charter board will approve this. we don't know anything but somehow, magically, it will happen in a year.

but closer to downtown than any of the other current LAMB locations so I have no idea what this comment is supposed to mean.

SD campus is closer to downtown. Kingsbury is 45-60 min away.

This is crazy. I live right by Kingsbury. If I go straight to work downtown from home it takes me 25-30 minutes door to door (with traffic). When I do it from the SD campus, it takes more like 40 minutes. (Also, it's not at "the very top of DC". Case in point: Distance to Silver Spring: 3.3 miles. Distance to the White House: 3.7 miles Pretty much in the middle of the two).

[Anonymous]

I am SO TIRED of these people posting smug comments about how such and such commute worked for them and then trashing others for worrying about how they will bring their children to and from school.

You do not know what is going on in people's lives. They could have a baby or special needs child or difficult job situation. It is disgusting to me that the "warm and welcoming" LAMB community could pass such judgment without knowing a thing.

Shame on you.

[Anonymous]

A long term lease with an option to buy puts parents who live far away in a tough position too. Moving closer to the school is pretty risky given (1) how many times the school has moved (2) the uncertainty of whether the school will exercise the option to purchase and (3) the fact that the school is only asking for a variance to 600 students. That's only 150 or so more than currently enrolled. It's easy to see how the school could outgrow that space and decide not to exercise the option. Because the school isn't metro accessible, that leaves parents with the choice of pulling their kids or enduring a really tough drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't be deliberately dense or a jerk PP. primary education isn't guaranteed for PK3 or 4. Some DCPS schools aren't acceptable for some lamb parents.

But as usual, as you can see, here is yet another example of rude, thoughtless, exclusionary lamb parent.

What a jerk statement, PP. How unsurprising. No wonder the school is being torn apart with people like this PP.

You are so negative and post over and over to seem like this is a widely held opinion. It is not. I know dozens of parents at LAMB. We all love it. If you are having so many issues, maybe you are the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't be deliberately dense or a jerk PP. primary education isn't guaranteed for PK3 or 4. Some DCPS schools aren't acceptable for some lamb parents.

But as usual, as you can see, here is yet another example of rude, thoughtless, exclusionary lamb parent.

What a jerk statement, PP. How unsurprising. No wonder the school is being torn apart with people like this PP.

You are so negative and post over and over to seem like this is a widely held opinion. It is not. I know dozens of parents at LAMB. We all love it. If you are having so many issues, maybe you are the issue.

So if you have a problem with it, you are the problem and get out?

Wow. Proving my point. And you only know dozens of families at lamb despite there being around 30 kids in the class? Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A long term lease with an option to buy puts parents who live far away in a tough position too. Moving closer to the school is pretty risky given (1) how many times the school has moved (2) the uncertainty of whether the school will exercise the option to purchase and (3) the fact that the school is only asking for a variance to 600 students. That's only 150 or so more than currently enrolled. It's easy to see how the school could outgrow that space and decide not to exercise the option. Because the school isn't metro accessible, that leaves parents with the choice of pulling their kids or enduring a really tough drive.

This.

[Anonymous]

NP here:
Please. Stop.

LAMB had a great community feeling until a few months ago. Let's not ruin everything with this forum. Let's support each other, both those for whom the move is a terrible thing and those for whom it is the best thing ever.

It will take a long time. It will be a phased move. We will have time to adjust. Hopefully we will have bussing options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here:
Please. Stop.

LAMB had a great community feeling until a few months ago. Let's not ruin everything with this forum. Let's support each other, both those for whom the move is a terrible thing and those for whom it is the best thing ever.

It will take a long time. It will be a phased move. We will have time to adjust. Hopefully we will have bussing options.

Mr Fernandez's actions -- and what was learned since then about the school's leadership -- ruined the school community. Not DCUM.

[Anonymous]

I agree, the school was torn apart when the layers behind the shiny facade were revealed. Trust will not be restored until the administration faces the consequences of covering up for a child molester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't we asking the LAMB administration to do BETTER this time? We really can't do better than a facility that is probably too small, in an inconvenient location far from transit?

Because this is a great space and it will be impossible to find something better? Can you name one location/building where you think that the school can be located and be convenient for ALL families? There is no such place and I for one think that Kingsbury is as close to perfect as the school can get.

This is only because you live down the street. It is at the very top of DC away from downtown.

I see no point to merge into one giant school. There is no savings since the cost of merging into one school will be paid by the families who don't live nearby. Nothing that has been said about Kingsbury is remotely placed in reality. we don't even know if the neighborhood will accept raising the occupancy by 100% (and the subsequent 600 extra cars on the road- the original Kingsbury center had kids bussed in).

We don't know what will happen with the historic board. Whether the plans will be approved. We haven't seen real blue prints. We don't know if the charter board will approve this. we don't know anything but somehow, magically, it will happen in a year.

Yes, nothing is certain which is why initially the lamb administrators did not share this information. But there was pressure among parents that administrators need to be open. So they had these meetings and shared this opportunity. As they said, nothing is certain, it is an opportunity that they are exploring, that is all. We/parents force them to share when they are still in the exploratory stages, and then we criticize them for not having firm enough plans to explain in detail how the move will take place. That makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't we asking the LAMB administration to do BETTER this time? We really can't do better than a facility that is probably too small, in an inconvenient location far from transit?

Because this is a great space and it will be impossible to find something better? Can you name one location/building where you think that the school can be located and be convenient for ALL families? There is no such place and I for one think that Kingsbury is as close to perfect as the school can get.

This is only because you live down the street. It is at the very top of DC away from downtown.

I see no point to merge into one giant school. There is no savings since the cost of merging into one school will be paid by the families who don't live nearby. Nothing that has been said about Kingsbury is remotely placed in reality. we don't even know if the neighborhood will accept raising the occupancy by 100% (and the subsequent 600 extra cars on the road- the original Kingsbury center had kids bussed in).

We don't know what will happen with the historic board. Whether the plans will be approved. We haven't seen real blue prints. We don't know if the charter board will approve this. we don't know anything but somehow, magically, it will happen in a year.

Yes, nothing is certain which is why initially the lamb administrators did not share this information. But there was pressure among parents that administrators need to be open. So they had these meetings and shared this opportunity. As they said, nothing is certain, it is an opportunity that they are exploring, that is all. We/parents force them to share when they are still in the exploratory stages, and then we criticize them for not having firm enough plans to explain in detail how the move will take place. That makes no sense.

Be realistic. The timing here is obvious. They waited until right after the lottery opt-in so the announcement wouldn't hurt their acceptance/enrollment numbers. That way existing parents couldn't decide to go to another school based on this Kingsbury flyer, and prospective students would be trapped with them until the next lottery cycle.

This was a cynical, corporate decision that assigned zero value to the interests of LAMB students and their families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here:
Please. Stop.

LAMB had a great community feeling until a few months ago. Let's not ruin everything with this forum. Let's support each other, both those for whom the move is a terrible thing and those for whom it is the best thing ever.

It will take a long time. It will be a phased move. We will have time to adjust. Hopefully we will have bussing options.

Mr Fernandez's actions -- and what was learned since then about the school's leadership -- ruined the school community. Not DCUM.

Correct +1000. What do you think is more likely to affect community morale:

1. Mishandled communications strategy about prospective campus move; OR

2. Ignoring and covering up clear notice (from another faculty member) that a teacher had been sneaking students, alone, into an isolated storage area for almost 2 years, and THEN upon criminal child molestation charges being brought against said teacher, electing not to warn the families of students who had that teacher, and THEN sending out the lawyer to lie to its parents' faces about whether they had had any notice about said teacher being a molester. I don't care that the teacher in question was a friend of the administrators, in fact that makes it even grosser.

Although both show the same underlying problem, one is much worse than the other. The sad fact is there are child molesters in education, that can't be blamed on a school. But the craven, dishonest, self-interested, ignore-the-victims response absolutely can and should be blamed on the administrators.

Its the kind of thing that can destroy faith in a school, and that's exactly what's happened here. And those cracks are just growing larger and larger as the administration continues to make dumb decisions such as trying to move a 600 student school into a 300 student building that already has 75-100 students who aren't moving anytime soon.

The glory days of LAMB are over and the administration has no one to blame but themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't we asking the LAMB administration to do BETTER this time? We really can't do better than a facility that is probably too small, in an inconvenient location far from transit?

Because this is a great space and it will be impossible to find something better? Can you name one location/building where you think that the school can be located and be convenient for ALL families? There is no such place and I for one think that Kingsbury is as close to perfect as the school can get.

This is only because you live down the street. It is at the very top of DC away from downtown.

I see no point to merge into one giant school. There is no savings since the cost of merging into one school will be paid by the families who don't live nearby. Nothing that has been said about Kingsbury is remotely placed in reality. we don't even know if the neighborhood will accept raising the occupancy by 100% (and the subsequent 600 extra cars on the road- the original Kingsbury center had kids bussed in).

We don't know what will happen with the historic board. Whether the plans will be approved. We haven't seen real blue prints. We don't know if the charter board will approve this. we don't know anything but somehow, magically, it will happen in a year.

Yes, nothing is certain which is why initially the lamb administrators did not share this information. But there was pressure among parents that administrators need to be open. So they had these meetings and shared this opportunity. As they said, nothing is certain, it is an opportunity that they are exploring, that is all. We/parents force them to share when they are still in the exploratory stages, and then we criticize them for not having firm enough plans to explain in detail how the move will take place. That makes no sense.

That's revisionist history. This thread has been going since APRIL 10 - almost two months of people hearing from various sources that LAMB was consolidating. The principal herself announced it to a group of parents prior to making any kind of official announcement. There was "pressure" among parents because Cristina was telling some people and not others.