Independent School Parent Opinions

[Anonymous]

Dear Independent School Parents--I posted the following post under "DC Public Schools" -- I would love it if you went to that forum and added your opinions. Thank you

Fellow Parents and Community Members,
For a long time I have been thinking that community members have an interest in supporting their neighborhood public and charter schools (donations to PTA, advocacy downtown and with the Chancellor, helping with clean up etc.) even if their child does not attend (and even, or especially, if you disagree with the Chancellor's initiatives). By this I mean that we all have a stake in our local public options--even if we have chosen independent or our child is before school age or 'aged out'--supporting the public options in your neighborhood can only help with property values and the 'livability' factor of your neighborhood. I have lived in a couple of very nice neighborhoods in DC where the locals seemed to have 'opted out' of their local public options. It makes for strange disparities, is not attractive to families looking to live in the neighborhood, and creates a totally different tone from neighborhoods where the local public school really is the locally loved school. Any thoughts on this, and on how we can all 'own' and 'support' our local public options?

[Anonymous]

Don't our taxes support the local public school? Is someone is an independent school parent, they are already supporting the local public school as well as their independent school and any extra-curricular activities.

I agree that we all have a stake in a successful local public school system, but I think it is up to the parents of any community to support that community.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you, but my experience has been that if you disagree with any faction of parents with kids in your local public school (e.g. about Rhee's policies or what you should be advocating for downtown), the legitimacy of your involvement will constantly be challenged. And, not surprisingly, some parents don't want to hear anything critical about their kids' school from an "outsider."

In some neighborhoods, there can be a lot of resentment that private school kids have access to resources that public school kids don't --and very little recognition of the relative privilege of the local schools within DCPS. So if you're advocating for systemwide reforms that might help the least well off (while living in a neighborhood whose schools are among the best), you'll also catch flak. Not from everyone -- obviously, there will be parents within the school who agree with you (and, in some cases, are happy to have someone else fight these battles, so they themselves don't have to be at odds with other parents at their school), but expect some resistance.

Same thing is true regarding parents of DCPS alums. Current parents can have different interest than past/future parents and when those differences emerge, current parents will claim to be the school community and that anyone who disagrees with them and doesn't have a kid enrolled shouldn't have a voice in decisionmaking.

If you want to be a booster -- e.g. volunteering, giving money, and following the PTA's lead regarding advocacy -- then, sure, go ahead. But if your support is going to be offered on your own terms, then be prepared for the no good deed goes unpunished scenario. And if your goal is purely philanthropic, then look beyond your neighborhood to see if there are other DCPS schools that might need/benefit from what you have to offer even more than your local one does. I followed the fight where you live model and, if I had it do to over again, would probably tend more toward the put resources where they will do the most good model.

[Anonymous]

I am thinking more along the lines of philanthropic than dictatorial--though there is nothing wrong with advocating non-school specific policy downtown. For example, every time the Mayor tries to slash Charter School funding, I pick up the phone and call my Council Member based on my personal conviction that charters (and independents and publics) all have a place in 'choice' in this city. That's why I am a member of the Focus listserve (Friends of Choice in Urban Schools)--a group that support all school options (focus.org).
I agree that independent school parents have LOTS on their plates, and that your taxes also generally support public. But having a thriving local public or charter school (and also thriving public and charter schools across town) is good for your neighborhood (property values, community 'glue') and good for your city. Just looking for ideas of how we can all come together to engage in education, that which we have an immediate 'stake' in, but also that which we have a general, community member stake in. And perhaps independents need support as well? Especially the small parochials...

[Anonymous]

Honestly? I've written off DCPS. If someone can afford to pay what our house would cost if we sold, they can pay for private school. We knew when we bought in this neighborhood that we would have to start saving for tuition. I pay plenty of taxes to support the place and while I see no reason to work against it, I also don't really see a reason to work for it. Most of the kids at the school are not from our neighborhood; most neighborhood kids go to private schools. I'll support the library, the DC parks & rec programs, etc. . . but see no need to get involved with DCPS.

[Anonymous]

I respect your point of view. Believe me, I taught for DCPS, have seen its ugliness from the inside, and have washed my hands of it professionally. However, with much alacrity and derring-do (ie lots and lots of research and elbow grease)--I have had a generally good experience with small DCPS elementaries for our child, and now a Charter that we love (so our child is set). We have currently bought into a pricey neighborhood where most the the children in the assigned public school are 'out of boundary' as you describe. Right now, a second baby is just a twinkle in our eye--but that walking distance, free school could come in very handy if we do have a child--or adds appeal if we rent or sell to a family at some point. I am not sure the independent versus public/charter needs to be such a stark division in our city. Aren't options nice? Or transitioning your child in and out--i.e. finding the best school at the best age for your child's needs and your family's budget? Solid public and charter schools help to make it more of a choice, less a feeling of desperation I have found. (For full disclosure--I have independent school options I have avoided exercising, though I fully support independent schools and hope they flourish).

[Anonymous]

Also, people 'buy in' to Mann or Oyster neighborhoods. Ie, these schools add to your property value even if your child does not attend. From a selfish perspective--makes sense to take an interest in what is going on in your local public, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly? I've written off DCPS. If someone can afford to pay what our house would cost if we sold, they can pay for private school. We knew when we bought in this neighborhood that we would have to start saving for tuition. I pay plenty of taxes to support the place and while I see no reason to work against it, I also don't really see a reason to work for it. Most of the kids at the school are not from our neighborhood; most neighborhood kids go to private schools. I'll support the library, the DC parks & rec programs, etc. . . but see no need to get involved with DCPS.

I completely agree. I know this is a horrible attitude, but I can't shake the feeling that it is the DCPS that has abandoned us... not the other way around.

[Anonymous]

DCPS may have, but there are still real, beautiful children in those schools. And DCPS has abandoned them. Should we?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS may have, but there are still real, beautiful children in those schools. And DCPS has abandoned them. Should we?

Not to be rude, but the kids in my local DCPS are FAR from abandoned. On the contrary, with the money the parents are saving, they all have second homes at the beach and vacation in far-flung lands. If you want to talk to me about DCPS across the river, down in NE, etc, well, I will hear those needs. But my local school. No. No one is hurting up there.

And, how do I support what I do not fundamentally believe in? Yes, every child deserves a good education, but I think public schools are fairly atrocious, have a strangle hold on teacher's creativity, keep the bad and expel the good (staff and admin), and reward laziness, incompetence, and selfishness. I am NOT giving money to that system when they are already fritter away what they have so GROSSLY it makes my head spin. NOTHING would make me happier than to get some free schooling for my children, but the system is so fundamentally broken, so deeply flawed, I cannot join it. I cannot give money to it. Help an individual child? Sure. But the system, let it falter and let our socialist culture turn to Charters and money for choice. That is where it is going anyway, why throw money away? The Charters are basically stealing from the publics, if not in money, than in students which STILL hurts the publics! All this, help your local school talk is bunk...

[Anonymous]

To the PP who thinks their child is "set" because they are in a highly regarded charter. Don't get too complacent. I have several friends who moved their kids from E.L. Haynes, Washington Latin and Cap City Charter to private once the kids got to middle school because they weren't happy with the school in the higher grades.

[Anonymous]

Charters, in fact, are not stealing from publics. Do they provide competition and incentive? Sure. However, charters receive far less money per pupil than public. If publics feel threatened by charters or independents they should look at what is attracting people to them, and perhaps strive to replicate that? The thing I hear over and over that people like about charters and independents is 'responsiveness'. As simple as that.

Versus contributing to local publics or charters--again--from a selfish point of view --it can only contribute to the strength (and value) of your neighborhood and city to have great options for all children. These are the children who will be taking care of you one day. I hope they don't have the same let's fiddle and watch Rome burn attitude.

When I talk about offering support I don't mean throw good money after bad--I mean perhaps contribute a small amount directly to the PTA in your neighborhood school. Perhaps go to a school fair, donate extra books to the library, sponsor a kid for tutoring. Contribute to a DC school through donorschoose.org. Just get to know your local school/schools--you will also get to know a community. This is not money or effort the system will 'fritter away'. It is directed money well-spent that is good for your community (and by extension you as well).

We can all hope DCPS 'gets it together'. In the meantime, I don't think the answer is to completely turn our backs on what is happening in the charter/DCPS sphere. There are things we can do to help, DESPITE politics as usual.

[Anonymous]

OP,
Why the emphasis on neighborhood schools? As others have noted, many independent school parents reside in neighborhoods where the local school is hardly hurting. An initiative involving parents from both DCPS and independent schools helping DCPS schools in need would be more interesting to me. Also, as a former DCPS parent, I would dread neighborhood independent school contributors acting like stakeholders in the school because of their contributions. That could get bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, as a former DCPS parent, I would dread neighborhood independent school contributors acting like stakeholders in the school because of their contributions. That could get bizarre.

We ARE stakeholders!

[Anonymous]

OP here--
I just know with MY altruism, I tend to 'invest' in that which is most pressing to me (generally, where my child goes to school...). This is probably good since as much as I am altruistic, I also advocate--so it makes sense to do it in an arena that I know most about and can serve to advance rather than frustrate a cause. That being said, as a neighborhood member--I can't help but feel that public, charter or independent -- our tide does rise and fall togethe, and as much as we (and our kids) have been ill-served by this town's school/political interface for,,,well,,,forever--we can circumvent them a little and directly help out/cheerlead for/ take an interest in even those schools our children don't attend. That does not just go for independent school parents, but seniors, child-free, whomever--the community. I get the general sense that the known independents are doing OK (from direct experience with them). But we walk by these charter schools and public schools and small, scrappy parochials every day. They all have fairs, PTA's, online teacher wishlists and fund drives to buy new blacktop and stuff like that--things that have nothing to do with Rhee and her machinations. Just parents and kids trying to get by. Maybe I am saying, stop, poke your nose in, help out a bit in a friendly way....maybe you can't save every school in DC, but if you stroke a small check to the PTA of one or contribute some volunteer materials/hours-it will make a diff.