Why is Murch accepting so many OOB students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every one of those 60 OOB kids just bailed on their own neighborhood school. If nothing else, DCPS should consider why that is.

OOB enrollment was designed to utilize surplus slots at desirable schools that had capacity. When a school is enrolled over capacity, to the point where they are needing to shrink its IB area, there shouldn't be any new OOB kids enrolled. Period.

You must be new around here. Welcome.

[Anonymous]

So now there are 60 fewer kids at their OOB neighborhood schools. How are those schools supposed to stay open if kids jump ship every chance they get? No wonder Coolidge, Roosevelt, Cardozo, etc... are under enrolled. And no wonder the charter movement is gaining ground every year. There is zero incentive to make those schools better, because all the effort is to maximize ways to shuttle kids to the few WOTP schools that are "desirable."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every one of those 60 OOB kids just bailed on their own neighborhood school. If nothing else, DCPS should consider why that is.

OOB enrollment was designed to utilize surplus slots at desirable schools that had capacity. When a school is enrolled over capacity, to the point where they are needing to shrink its IB area, there shouldn't be any new OOB kids enrolled. Period.

You must be new around here. Welcome.

Right -- OOB enrollment is the District's work-around to the end of 1970s bussing. OOB in the 2000s is the vehicle for maintaining a degree of integration in DCPS. OOB will continue so long as the District's leadership is a mix of elected/appointed African Americans and veryliberal Dem whites, who are all (except Matt Frumin) afraid of "optics."

For some reason, the parents and school leadership in AU Park are not perturbed by a school that is ~ 94% white & Asian, and Central allows this. At all the other Ward 3 schools, this is not cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The major issue has to be that Murch had k classes this year as small as 16. Oops! But last year they were as large as 27 (you try hiring a fifth teacher in September). With volatile IB enrollment because of apartments and embassies, OOB enrollment is the only way to plan ahead.

But why not just wait until September and take kids from the wait list to fill up any under-enrolled classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So now there are 60 fewer kids at their OOB neighborhood schools. How are those schools supposed to stay open if kids jump ship every chance they get? No wonder Coolidge, Roosevelt, Cardozo, etc... are under enrolled. And no wonder the charter movement is gaining ground every year. There is zero incentive to make those schools better, because all the effort is to maximize ways to shuttle kids to the few WOTP schools that are "desirable."

You must be new here too. There is an entire system in place called the lottery. Thousands try to get into schools which are not their IB schools. WOTP schools are not the only schools which participate in the lottery. In fact, the case majority of seats in the lottery are NOT for WOTP schools.

And welcome to you too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every one of those 60 OOB kids just bailed on their own neighborhood school. If nothing else, DCPS should consider why that is.

OOB enrollment was designed to utilize surplus slots at desirable schools that had capacity. When a school is enrolled over capacity, to the point where they are needing to shrink its IB area, there shouldn't be any new OOB kids enrolled. Period.

You must be new around here. Welcome.

Right -- OOB enrollment is the District's work-around to the end of 1970s bussing. OOB in the 2000s is the vehicle for maintaining a degree of integration in DCPS. OOB will continue so long as the District's leadership is a mix of elected/appointed African Americans and veryliberal Dem whites, who are all (except Matt Frumin) afraid of "optics."

For some reason, the parents and school leadership in AU Park are not perturbed by a school that is ~ 94% white & Asian, and Central allows this. At all the other Ward 3 schools, this is not cool.

Isn't it nutty to continue to accept OOB students into a severely overcrowded school that has become a semi-permanent trailer city?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The major issue has to be that Murch had k classes this year as small as 16. Oops! But last year they were as large as 27 (you try hiring a fifth teacher in September). With volatile IB enrollment because of apartments and embassies, OOB enrollment is the only way to plan ahead.

But why not just wait until September and take kids from the wait list to fill up any under-enrolled classes?

That would be rational. And we don't do rational in DCPS.

I think it's more an issue of money (you project a certain budget, and you need to have the enrollment match to keep the money), politics, and the major-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-into-Deal/Wilson-card. At some point, the calculus will change, and people will prefer to go to some school other than Murch, because it will be so large, it will no longer be able to offer the kind of quality that drew everyone to it in the first place. Hearst is a fine school - I would start betting on its overtaking Murch in popularity in the new few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And I have heard other parents complain about not getting into Xday, not getting a spot on a Murch Stoddert team, etc.

Really about Xday? Unless you are talking about pre-K Xday, I'm not sure that is accurage (and still not completely sold that pre-kX day is full). Also, to be clear, Xday is not a program run by Murch itself, but is associated with it and there are "Murch" after care options other than Xday, specifically the langauge program, which is in the same building as Murch. As far as "Murch" Stoddert team, there can be as many teams as there are parents willing to coach, so that parent complaining should step up and coach if it is such a big deal not to be on a team with their Murch friends. Otherwise, the kid will be able to play on another Stoddert team regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every one of those 60 OOB kids just bailed on their own neighborhood school. If nothing else, DCPS should consider why that is.

OOB enrollment was designed to utilize surplus slots at desirable schools that had capacity. When a school is enrolled over capacity, to the point where they are needing to shrink its IB area, there shouldn't be any new OOB kids enrolled. Period.

You must be new around here. Welcome.

Right -- OOB enrollment is the District's work-around to the end of 1970s bussing. OOB in the 2000s is the vehicle for maintaining a degree of integration in DCPS. OOB will continue so long as the District's leadership is a mix of elected/appointed African Americans and veryliberal Dem whites, who are all (except Matt Frumin) afraid of "optics."

For some reason, the parents and school leadership in AU Park are not perturbed by a school that is ~ 94% white & Asian, and Central allows this. At all the other Ward 3 schools, this is not cool.

Isn't it nutty to continue to accept OOB students into a severely overcrowded school that has become a semi-permanent trailer city?

Isn't it nutty to continue to accept OOB students to underperforming schools-- which is basically most of the schools in DC? Seriously, that is the truly nutty part. Accepting OOB into a high performing school with trailers sounds like a better option for educating kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, now you conform you are a bit looney. XDay and Stoddert are the extra curriculars you are talking about? And the specials teachers having trouble remembering names? Come on OP, those are really random "stressors" to focus on. I think most telling is your community concern. You are a K family and are having trouble meeting people. You haven't mentioned one stressor which affects your child. I can promise you the specials teachers (most of whom have been there a number of years. Geography teacher is new only because the previous one couldn't renew her visa renewed another time) don't share your concern. XDay has always had a limit on the number of kids it can take in pk and k. It is limited by staff to kid ratio dictated by law. Even when the school was smaller there were limits and people didn't get in. Stoddert-- do I really need to address this? Better yet, please find me a child who was denied playing Stoddert because their school let in a limited number of OOB students in the lottery.

You will meet people as your kid continues at Murch. Why not offer to host the class potluck in the fall? How about volunteer to be a room parent? Why not volunteer to sell pizza before a school event? Have you attended a principal coffee in the playground? I am sure you went to all the HSA meetings, did you introduce yourself to Martha or Maggie? They are really great at welcoming new families and immediately getting them involved with the school and other parents.

Exactly. There are plenty of opportunities to meet people and get involved. You don't seem like a shrinking violet, OP. And you clearly have strong opinions. Get involved.

(And as for the specials teachers, there's one who will never remember all of the kids names, no matter how many she has. She just calls them all "sweetie," even the ones she's had since she started teaching at Murch. But that's a different issue.)

OP again (seems like I'm a glutton for punishment.) Putting aside PP's infantile name calling, I know of many other parents who share my concerns and who have provided me with the examples included in my previous posts. These are parents who I've met and become friends with this year, by the way, so thanks for the advice to become more involved. I've attended HSA meetings, hosted get-togethers, volunteered in the classroom and at the auction, chaperoned fieldtrips, etc., and have met a lot of nice people, but that's beside the point. The fact is a bigger school does stretch the overall resources and sense of a tight-knit community, it just does. Do you think a school that's 900 kids feels the same as a school with 350? Of course it doesn't. Friends of mine who have kids at Key or Mann or other smaller schools talk about how they know almost every kid in K. I can't even imagine that at a school the size of Murch. And before the pro-Murch boosters sharpen their talons, I like Murch. I support the school. I donate my $ and my time. My kid is happy there, and I think it's a nice community. It's not a personal attack against you, your family, your kid, or the school to question the approach of accepting more OOB kids when the school is already so overcrowded. I also think it's interesting that the nasty PPs still haven't addressed my main point -- that it undercuts our complaining about an overcrowded school when we add 10% of our student population from OOB. And, I'll reiterate, I would be very upset I if lived in a part of the Murch district that has been redrawn.

[Anonymous]

First I don't think anyone was nasty. Second, you still haven't provided any concrete examples. You talked about stressors including extracurriculars which aren't Murch issues. You brought up specials with no example and community which is clearly your opinion (oh wait you threw in the mythical many other parents support me). I have a different opinion. Key and Mann stay small because of housing and their lack of a viable middle school. While a Deal feeders grow in the upper grades Key and Mann shrink. You seem to want a smaller school. Perhaps Murch isn't for you. I bet Miurch is for your kid though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, now you conform you are a bit looney. XDay and Stoddert are the extra curriculars you are talking about? And the specials teachers having trouble remembering names? Come on OP, those are really random "stressors" to focus on. I think most telling is your community concern. You are a K family and are having trouble meeting people. You haven't mentioned one stressor which affects your child. I can promise you the specials teachers (most of whom have been there a number of years. Geography teacher is new only because the previous one couldn't renew her visa renewed another time) don't share your concern. XDay has always had a limit on the number of kids it can take in pk and k. It is limited by staff to kid ratio dictated by law. Even when the school was smaller there were limits and people didn't get in. Stoddert-- do I really need to address this? Better yet, please find me a child who was denied playing Stoddert because their school let in a limited number of OOB students in the lottery.

You will meet people as your kid continues at Murch. Why not offer to host the class potluck in the fall? How about volunteer to be a room parent? Why not volunteer to sell pizza before a school event? Have you attended a principal coffee in the playground? I am sure you went to all the HSA meetings, did you introduce yourself to Martha or Maggie? They are really great at welcoming new families and immediately getting them involved with the school and other parents.

Exactly. There are plenty of opportunities to meet people and get involved. You don't seem like a shrinking violet, OP. And you clearly have strong opinions. Get involved.

(And as for the specials teachers, there's one who will never remember all of the kids names, no matter how many she has. She just calls them all "sweetie," even the ones she's had since she started teaching at Murch. But that's a different issue.)

OP again (seems like I'm a glutton for punishment.) Putting aside PP's infantile name calling, I know of many other parents who share my concerns and who have provided me with the examples included in my previous posts. These are parents who I've met and become friends with this year, by the way, so thanks for the advice to become more involved. I've attended HSA meetings, hosted get-togethers, volunteered in the classroom and at the auction, chaperoned fieldtrips, etc., and have met a lot of nice people, but that's beside the point. The fact is a bigger school does stretch the overall resources and sense of a tight-knit community, it just does. Do you think a school that's 900 kids feels the same as a school with 350? Of course it doesn't. Friends of mine who have kids at Key or Mann or other smaller schools talk about how they know almost every kid in K. I can't even imagine that at a school the size of Murch. And before the pro-Murch boosters sharpen their talons, I like Murch. I support the school. I donate my $ and my time. My kid is happy there, and I think it's a nice community. It's not a personal attack against you, your family, your kid, or the school to question the approach of accepting more OOB kids when the school is already so overcrowded. I also think it's interesting that the nasty PPs still haven't addressed my main point -- that it undercuts our complaining about an overcrowded school when we add 10% of our student population from OOB. And, I'll reiterate, I would be very upset I if lived in a part of the Murch district that has been redrawn.

You have every right to your opinion, OP. And you are not the only one who has expressed it. I happen to agree with you, and have spent many many years at the school. Maybe your only mistake was to put it on DCUM, where you are guaranteed to meet with vitriol at every turn.

That being said, I think that there isn't a whole lot you can do about it. Murch is huge, it will continue to stay huge, it will continue to have trailers (unless that renovation happens and the new school can magically accommodate 700 kids), and it will continue to be stretched at the margins. The good thing, though, is that the parents are very involved, and they do everything they can to keep Murch as good as it is (even if they don't all agree on what that means). And, due to its location, it will probably always feed to Deal and Wilson.

Once upon a time, Murch was a small school like Eaton and Mann (back when the Deal feeder wasn't a positive thing). It had a great close-knit community, but it also suffered from lack of funding. There is always something, OP. Maybe you can just take a deep breath and decide to roll with it. Those re-zoned parents south of Albermarle will take this one on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The major issue has to be that Murch had k classes this year as small as 16. Oops! But last year they were as large as 27 (you try hiring a fifth teacher in September). With volatile IB enrollment because of apartments and embassies, OOB enrollment is the only way to plan ahead.

But why not just wait until September and take kids from the wait list to fill up any under-enrolled classes?

That would be rational. And we don't do rational in DCPS.

I think it's more an issue of money (you project a certain budget, and you need to have the enrollment match to keep the money), politics, and the major-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-into-Deal/Wilson-card. At some point, the calculus will change, and people will prefer to go to some school other than Murch, because it will be so large, it will no longer be able to offer the kind of quality that drew everyone to it in the first place. Hearst is a fine school - I would start betting on its overtaking Murch in popularity in the new few years.

To be clear, "keep the money" means keep the classroom teacher. Lose the teacher/money and you have a class size of 28+. DCPS does not have a plan for handling an expansion year that causes a temporary dip in class size below the sweet spot that funds a teacher, other than forcing the school to take OOB students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The major issue has to be that Murch had k classes this year as small as 16. Oops! But last year they were as large as 27 (you try hiring a fifth teacher in September). With volatile IB enrollment because of apartments and embassies, OOB enrollment is the only way to plan ahead.

But why not just wait until September and take kids from the wait list to fill up any under-enrolled classes?

That would be rational. And we don't do rational in DCPS.

I think it's more an issue of money (you project a certain budget, and you need to have the enrollment match to keep the money), politics, and the major-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-into-Deal/Wilson-card. At some point, the calculus will change, and people will prefer to go to some school other than Murch, because it will be so large, it will no longer be able to offer the kind of quality that drew everyone to it in the first place. Hearst is a fine school - I would start betting on its overtaking Murch in popularity in the new few years.

To be clear, "keep the money" means keep the classroom teacher. Lose the teacher/money and you have a class size of 28+. DCPS does not have a plan for handling an expansion year that causes a temporary dip in class size below the sweet spot that funds a teacher, other than forcing the school to take OOB students.

Ok, I see your point. But that works for 1 grade (often that happens in 5th). But Murch isn't taking 60 kids to fill in 1 grade. It's taking 60 kids to fill in every grade. Is every grade below the sweet spot?

[Anonymous]

Can someone tell me where this info is coming from? I looked at myschool and I don't see it.