School Boundary Issue - How will NW elementary schools be affected?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A DC council staffer gave me her assessment of how things may turn out. I don't know whether she has inside info or if it's just her perspective. She says that politically the exsting system can't survive. The lottery is no longer providing enough spots in "acceptable" schools for parents who want options other than the less-desirable local schools where they live. The critics are not just "old DC" families in poorer neighborhoods who long have resented the status of schools west of the Park, it now includes the "new DC" gentriifyers, too. They moved in to transitional neighborhoods in search of good real estate values or "happening" areas, without much thought to the schools. Now they have kids, and they either don't want to, or can't, move to higher priced areas with better schools, and they're frustrated. Together, parents in these groups are being heard downtown. What she thinks will happen is that DCPS will cite the threat of civil rights lawsuits (I'm skeptical of this in a majority minority city, but this is what she says). Pretext or not, DCPS will say they have no choice but to move to a complete lottery/random assignment system at least for middle and high school. They know that this may put pressure on the private school route for some families, and may drive some families out of DC altogether. At the same time, they feel that the DC real estate market is quite strong and that more singles, childless couples and empty nesters will pick up the slack as families may leave (and they don't use school services anyway).

I could, sadly, totally see this happening. Rather than do the hard work and fix the bad schools they will raise the white flag and redistribute well prepared kids among the less prepared and just call it a day.

The people orchestrating all this are hard core social justice types who would rather the city simply empty out of middle and upper class citizens than see he widening achievement and income gaps that are easily apparent and sickening when one has a whole-city perspective. Unfortunately these same people don't have the expertise or vision or political wherewithal to deal with the issue systemically rather than by some big redistribution of seats scheme. Most of all, before you declare that something will "never happen" remember that they care not at all for you or your children ( beyond leveraging you and them )because you and your children will be fine no matter what. You can stand to be hurt or inconvenienced. Their true concern are the tens of thousands of children who they can help find a decent education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live west of Rock Creek Park, ask yourself how much you've seen Vincent Gray campaigning in your neighborhood in the last two months. He's written off Wards 2 and 3 and carved his effort back to a get-out-the-base campaign. Now think of how much of a sympathetic ear you'll get on school boundaries if he is re-elected.

Catania is probably praying that Gray wins the primary. This is a low-turnout primary; nobody other than Ward 7 and 8 voters like Gray, and none of the other current candidates have voters' enthusiasm so hardly anyone is voting. So, for the first time in forever, we may get a non-Democrat Mayor. Though, if I'm Catania, I would be very concerned that someone like Robert Bobb would step in to challenge also.

Robert Bobb?! Hardly any name recognition and those who remember him remember a mediocre city administrator. Catania's not perfect, but he's a solid reformer and takes the oversight function very seriously. As a Democrat, i like the fact that he's not affiliated with the DC Democratic machinery. Party turnover in the District Building at least once in two generations might be a good thing. And he's generally more liberal than most national Democrats.

Sadly, race in this city is more important than competency. Bobb is black. Catania is not. Bobb's history in municipal management would immediately make him an effective challenger of Gray.

I assume then that those for whom race is an important political consideration will vote for Gray. So Bobb would take votes from Gray.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live west of Rock Creek Park, ask yourself how much you've seen Vincent Gray campaigning in your neighborhood in the last two months. He's written off Wards 2 and 3 and carved his effort back to a get-out-the-base campaign. Now think of how much of a sympathetic ear you'll get on school boundaries if he is re-elected.

I held my nose and voted for Muriel Bowser for this exact reason. She's a dingbat but Grey's hugging up on Barry turned my stomach.

I really, really held my nose and voted for Gray. It was purely tactical. I believe that a wounded, likely soon to be indicted Gray who squeaks through the primary will not survive a general election. Bowser is non-offensive but no leading light on the council, either. I think she'll be a more sanitized version of more of the same. I'm betting on Mayor Catania.

My head told me to do that (for the same tactical reasons) but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It freaked me out to vote for a guy who just doesn't give a damn about me or my neighborhood. I'm all in for Catania. I guess he will just have to make himself as competitive as humanly possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A DC council staffer gave me her assessment of how things may turn out. I don't know whether she has inside info or if it's just her perspective. She says that politically the exsting system can't survive. The lottery is no longer providing enough spots in "acceptable" schools for parents who want options other than the less-desirable local schools where they live. The critics are not just "old DC" families in poorer neighborhoods who long have resented the status of schools west of the Park, it now includes the "new DC" gentriifyers, too. They moved in to transitional neighborhoods in search of good real estate values or "happening" areas, without much thought to the schools. Now they have kids, and they either don't want to, or can't, move to higher priced areas with better schools, and they're frustrated. Together, parents in these groups are being heard downtown. What she thinks will happen is that DCPS will cite the threat of civil rights lawsuits (I'm skeptical of this in a majority minority city, but this is what she says). Pretext or not, DCPS will say they have no choice but to move to a complete lottery/random assignment system at least for middle and high school. They know that this may put pressure on the private school route for some families, and may drive some families out of DC altogether. At the same time, they feel that the DC real estate market is quite strong and that more singles, childless couples and empty nesters will pick up the slack as families may leave (and they don't use school services anyway).

I could, sadly, totally see this happening. Rather than do the hard work and fix the bad schools they will raise the white flag and redistribute well prepared kids among the less prepared and just call it a day.

The people orchestrating all this are hard core social justice types who would rather the city simply empty out of middle and upper class citizens than see he widening achievement and income gaps that are easily apparent and sickening when one has a whole-city perspective. Unfortunately these same people don't have the expertise or vision or political wherewithal to deal with the issue systemically rather than by some big redistribution of seats scheme. Most of all, before you declare that something will "never happen" remember that they care not at all for you or your children ( beyond leveraging you and them )because you and your children will be fine no matter what. You can stand to be hurt or inconvenienced. Their true concern are the tens of thousands of children who they can help find a decent education.

But the question remains how decent will that education be after alienating higher SES types? The bottom line is that virtually all of the increase in DCPS test scores can be attributed to higher SES students (of all races) moving into the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whatever.

That suggests you don't understand what the terms mean. The fault is on me.

Normative is "what should be." Positive is "what is." When talking about making new boundaries, it's clearly normative considerations that matter.

WOW.

I understand you are not very nice. That I get. Thanks for making that crystal clear.

Am I supposed to recognize "whatever" as an attempt at serious dialogue?

Do you understand that I'm not very nice? Really, you managed to get that from a few posts in an online forum? Then you truly are a better person than me. I try (not always successfully) withhold judgement about people's character and intent until I have a more intimate relationship with them. I also value serious, engaged, intellectual discourse regardless of whether I "win" the argument. I don't just put my hands over my ears.

NP here. Sorry, but it's hard to take your "serious, engaged, intellectual discourse" seriously when you're talking about Wisconsin Avenue like it's a freeway. Insulting other people's intelligence doesn't help much either.

PP, you're an ass. Wisconsin ave, at the Chesapeake Street crossing has no light--but yes, it has a cross walk. It is a dicey crossing, even for middle schoolers--cars come flying down Wisc at upwards of 50mph at rush hour. They're speeding, of course, but just don't care. There is no way I would let my elementary aged children cross at that street alone. We're on the west side of Wisc and my 4 kids have been able to walk to Janney on their own, since they were in second grade. It was the number 1 factor in why we bought in this neighborhood--and we pay enormously for this convenience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Nothing is absolute, but there's very (very) little than can (let alone should) be done about the schools in upper NW. Especially the JKLM(ann) schools; there's simply no other options.

What do you mean there's simply no other options?

They can and should adjust the boundaries of the overcrowded schools (Janney and Murch) to the less overcrowded ones (Hearst and Eaton).

This is one option. However, let's be clear: both Heast and Murch are at capacity if not a little over. It's just that that capacity is mostly taken up by students who do not live within the neighborhood boundaries. If you shift more students from an adjacent area into these school areas, the number of OOB students from farther-flung parts of the city will necessarily go down. It's like squeezing a balloon.

Um, I don't think you meant Murch - Eaton maybe? Murch is way more than a little over capacity and it is not an OOB issue. http://murchlookingforward.org BTW several new apartment buildings are going up in Murch boundaries as we speak. I wonder if developers will advertise that the apartment comes with its own "learning cottage." Look for more trailers at Murch soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A DC council staffer gave me her assessment of how things may turn out. I don't know whether she has inside info or if it's just her perspective. She says that politically the exsting system can't survive. The lottery is no longer providing enough spots in "acceptable" schools for parents who want options other than the less-desirable local schools where they live. The critics are not just "old DC" families in poorer neighborhoods who long have resented the status of schools west of the Park, it now includes the "new DC" gentriifyers, too. They moved in to transitional neighborhoods in search of good real estate values or "happening" areas, without much thought to the schools. Now they have kids, and they either don't want to, or can't, move to higher priced areas with better schools, and they're frustrated. Together, parents in these groups are being heard downtown. What she thinks will happen is that DCPS will cite the threat of civil rights lawsuits (I'm skeptical of this in a majority minority city, but this is what she says). Pretext or not, DCPS will say they have no choice but to move to a complete lottery/random assignment system at least for middle and high school. They know that this may put pressure on the private school route for some families, and may drive some families out of DC altogether. At the same time, they feel that the DC real estate market is quite strong and that more singles, childless couples and empty nesters will pick up the slack as families may leave (and they don't use school services anyway).

I could, sadly, totally see this happening. Rather than do the hard work and fix the bad schools they will raise the white flag and redistribute well prepared kids among the less prepared and just call it a day.

The people orchestrating all this are hard core social justice types who would rather the city simply empty out of middle and upper class citizens than see he widening achievement and income gaps that are easily apparent and sickening when one has a whole-city perspective. Unfortunately these same people don't have the expertise or vision or political wherewithal to deal with the issue systemically rather than by some big redistribution of seats scheme. Most of all, before you declare that something will "never happen" remember that they care not at all for you or your children ( beyond leveraging you and them )because you and your children will be fine no matter what. You can stand to be hurt or inconvenienced. Their true concern are the tens of thousands of children who they can help find a decent education.

But the question remains how decent will that education be after alienating higher SES types? The bottom line is that virtually all of the increase in DCPS test scores can be attributed to higher SES students (of all races) moving into the system.

It doesn't matter. It is the inequality that animates this line of thinking, not the level of quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A DC council staffer gave me her assessment of how things may turn out. I don't know whether she has inside info or if it's just her perspective. She says that politically the exsting system can't survive. The lottery is no longer providing enough spots in "acceptable" schools for parents who want options other than the less-desirable local schools where they live. The critics are not just "old DC" families in poorer neighborhoods who long have resented the status of schools west of the Park, it now includes the "new DC" gentriifyers, too. They moved in to transitional neighborhoods in search of good real estate values or "happening" areas, without much thought to the schools. Now they have kids, and they either don't want to, or can't, move to higher priced areas with better schools, and they're frustrated. Together, parents in these groups are being heard downtown. What she thinks will happen is that DCPS will cite the threat of civil rights lawsuits (I'm skeptical of this in a majority minority city, but this is what she says). Pretext or not, DCPS will say they have no choice but to move to a complete lottery/random assignment system at least for middle and high school. They know that this may put pressure on the private school route for some families, and may drive some families out of DC altogether. At the same time, they feel that the DC real estate market is quite strong and that more singles, childless couples and empty nesters will pick up the slack as families may leave (and they don't use school services anyway).

I could, sadly, totally see this happening. Rather than do the hard work and fix the bad schools they will raise the white flag and redistribute well prepared kids among the less prepared and just call it a day.

The people orchestrating all this are hard core social justice types who would rather the city simply empty out of middle and upper class citizens than see he widening achievement and income gaps that are easily apparent and sickening when one has a whole-city perspective. Unfortunately these same people don't have the expertise or vision or political wherewithal to deal with the issue systemically rather than by some big redistribution of seats scheme. Most of all, before you declare that something will "never happen" remember that they care not at all for you or your children ( beyond leveraging you and them )because you and your children will be fine no matter what. You can stand to be hurt or inconvenienced. Their true concern are the tens of thousands of children who they can help find a decent education.

But the question remains how decent will that education be after alienating higher SES types? The bottom line is that virtually all of the increase in DCPS test scores can be attributed to higher SES students (of all races) moving into the system.

It doesn't matter. It is the inequality that animates this line of thinking, not the level of quality.

So make education suck for ALL students? Is that the idea?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whatever.

That suggests you don't understand what the terms mean. The fault is on me.

Normative is "what should be." Positive is "what is." When talking about making new boundaries, it's clearly normative considerations that matter.

WOW.

I understand you are not very nice. That I get. Thanks for making that crystal clear.

Am I supposed to recognize "whatever" as an attempt at serious dialogue?

Do you understand that I'm not very nice? Really, you managed to get that from a few posts in an online forum? Then you truly are a better person than me. I try (not always successfully) withhold judgement about people's character and intent until I have a more intimate relationship with them. I also value serious, engaged, intellectual discourse regardless of whether I "win" the argument. I don't just put my hands over my ears.

NP here. Sorry, but it's hard to take your "serious, engaged, intellectual discourse" seriously when you're talking about Wisconsin Avenue like it's a freeway. Insulting other people's intelligence doesn't help much either.

PP, you're an ass. Wisconsin ave, at the Chesapeake Street crossing has no light--but yes, it has a cross walk. It is a dicey crossing, even for middle schoolers--cars come flying down Wisc at upwards of 50mph at rush hour. They're speeding, of course, but just don't care. There is no way I would let my elementary aged children cross at that street alone. We're on the west side of Wisc and my 4 kids have been able to walk to Janney on their own, since they were in second grade. It was the number 1 factor in why we bought in this neighborhood--and we pay enormously for this convenience.

LOL like there is some kind of price discount offered for those that live on the east side of Wisconsin Ave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whatever.

That suggests you don't understand what the terms mean. The fault is on me.

Normative is "what should be." Positive is "what is." When talking about making new boundaries, it's clearly normative considerations that matter.

WOW.

I understand you are not very nice. That I get. Thanks for making that crystal clear.

Am I supposed to recognize "whatever" as an attempt at serious dialogue?

Do you understand that I'm not very nice? Really, you managed to get that from a few posts in an online forum? Then you truly are a better person than me. I try (not always successfully) withhold judgement about people's character and intent until I have a more intimate relationship with them. I also value serious, engaged, intellectual discourse regardless of whether I "win" the argument. I don't just put my hands over my ears.

NP here. Sorry, but it's hard to take your "serious, engaged, intellectual discourse" seriously when you're talking about Wisconsin Avenue like it's a freeway. Insulting other people's intelligence doesn't help much either.

PP, you're an ass. Wisconsin ave, at the Chesapeake Street crossing has no light--but yes, it has a cross walk. It is a dicey crossing, even for middle schoolers--cars come flying down Wisc at upwards of 50mph at rush hour. They're speeding, of course, but just don't care. There is no way I would let my elementary aged children cross at that street alone. We're on the west side of Wisc and my 4 kids have been able to walk to Janney on their own, since they were in second grade. It was the number 1 factor in why we bought in this neighborhood--and we pay enormously for this convenience.

LOL like there is some kind of price discount offered for those that live on the east side of Wisconsin Ave.

Ha! But here's one idea to throw a monkey wrench in redistricting Organize and tell your councilmembers and the DC government bureaucrats that if you are re-assigned to a lower performing school, you intend to challenge vigorously your house assessment year after year, on the basis that your home has lost value. Nothing so concentrates the mind of a DC bureaucrat as the loss of tax revenue.

[Anonymous]

I like that idea, 19:10!

[Anonymous]

PP, you're an ass. Wisconsin ave, at the Chesapeake Street crossing has no light--but yes, it has a cross walk. It is a dicey crossing, even for middle schoolers--cars come flying down Wisc at upwards of 50mph at rush hour. They're speeding, of course, but just don't care. There is no way I would let my elementary aged children cross at that street alone. We're on the west side of Wisc and my 4 kids have been able to walk to Janney on their own, since they were in second grade. It was the number 1 factor in why we bought in this neighborhood--and we pay enormously for this convenience.

I am with you. Kids walking to school since second grade. Would never allow crossing Wisconsin, will not allow DCPS incompetent bureaucrats and electoral strategies take away my IB rights for janney, deal and Wilson . I will attend all working group, will become a political activist for Catania , who said that structural improvements of the school system will come before any boundary adjustments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Ha! But here's one idea to throw a monkey wrench in redistricting Organize and tell your councilmembers and the DC government bureaucrats that if you are re-assigned to a lower performing school, you intend to challenge vigorously your house assessment year after year, on the basis that your home has lost value. Nothing so concentrates the mind of a DC bureaucrat as the loss of tax revenue.

+1

[Anonymous]

Janney people west of Wisconsin, I think you are fine. Relax. No one wants to rob you of your Janney seat.

[Anonymous]

Post elections I am wondering if this changes things