Shaw Middle School Community Meeting

[Anonymous]

Some of these comments are so strange, I feel like they may be coming from DCPS central office in an effort to deflate the effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of these comments are so strange, I feel like they may be coming from DCPS central office in an effort to deflate the effort.

I thought the same exact thing when I read through the other Shaw Middle thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of these comments are so strange, I feel like they may be coming from DCPS central office in an effort to deflate the effort.

I thought the same exact thing when I read through the other Shaw Middle thread.

I think the group of people who were working on this all along are a little frustrated that everyone else is claiming ignorance. The signs were there for those who chose to see them.

[Anonymous]

I'm currently living in the Shaw area with a upcoming pk3 student. When looking for a larger home to accommodate our growing family, the lack of a path to middle school 150% affected our decision to leave the area for schools WOTP. I'm genuinely sad to leave because it is an amazing neighborhood and my child has had wonderful access to all things that living mid-city affords- tons of playgrounds, walkable to museums, libraries, and we have an easier commute, but NO viable public school path cannot be ignored. Middle school is not actually that far away when thinking in real estate purchasing terms, so for us, we couldn't bank on any of this being sorted out and don't want to be forced to move twice or play the lottery. So yes, no Shaw Middle School absolutely affects neighborhood retention and families. And now DCPS lost us as an engaged neighborhood pre-K family too since we'll have to do private. You can poo poo me and say my family will just be replaced so good riddance, and I'm lucky to be able to afford elsewhere (and the preK costs associated), but having lived in this neighborhood for 8+ years and watched it grow, my family (and the 5+ other families I've known that have also already moved) would've liked to stay, but can't see how it makes sense long term.

[Anonymous]

I don't think so - I think those of you who are advocates for a Shaw Middle School really need to have a clear articulated position that considers and can respond to concerns/questions from each of these groups:

1. Stakeholders from Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland (I assume these are the loudest voices here, but could be wrong)
2. Stakeholders from Thomson, Ross, SWW-FS
3. Current MS parents at Cardozo
4. Stakeholders from Banneker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think so - I think those of you who are advocates for a Shaw Middle School really need to have a clear articulated position that considers and can respond to concerns/questions from each of these groups:

1. Stakeholders from Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland (I assume these are the loudest voices here, but could be wrong)
2. Stakeholders from Thomson, Ross, SWW-FS
3. Current MS parents at Cardozo
4. Stakeholders from Banneker

This. And no BS pseudo-reasons about the distance. We all know that is not the real reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think so - I think those of you who are advocates for a Shaw Middle School really need to have a clear articulated position that considers and can respond to concerns/questions from each of these groups:

1. Stakeholders from Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland (I assume these are the loudest voices here, but could be wrong)
2. Stakeholders from Thomson, Ross, SWW-FS
3. Current MS parents at Cardozo
4. Stakeholders from Banneker

This. And no BS pseudo-reasons about the distance. We all know that is not the real reason.

What are you talking about? Location certainly is a factor, among the many others discussed here. This very convenient site for all 6 feeder schools vs. ?????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think so - I think those of you who are advocates for a Shaw Middle School really need to have a clear articulated position that considers and can respond to concerns/questions from each of these groups:

1. Stakeholders from Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland (I assume these are the loudest voices here, but could be wrong)
2. Stakeholders from Thomson, Ross, SWW-FS
3. Current MS parents at Cardozo
4. Stakeholders from Banneker

This. And no BS pseudo-reasons about the distance. We all know that is not the real reason.

What are you talking about? Location certainly is a factor, among the many others discussed here. This very convenient site for all 6 feeder schools vs. ?????

NP. I think what was being suggested is that, with so many families already leaving shaw for charters and DCPS schools OOB, saying that 'we must have the bldg' bc of proximity is not going to be a compelling argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think so - I think those of you who are advocates for a Shaw Middle School really need to have a clear articulated position that considers and can respond to concerns/questions from each of these groups:

1. Stakeholders from Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland (I assume these are the loudest voices here, but could be wrong)
2. Stakeholders from Thomson, Ross, SWW-FS
3. Current MS parents at Cardozo
4. Stakeholders from Banneker

This. And no BS pseudo-reasons about the distance. We all know that is not the real reason.

What are you talking about? Location certainly is a factor, among the many others discussed here. This very convenient site for all 6 feeder schools vs. ?????

NP. I think what was being suggested is that, with so many families already leaving shaw for charters and DCPS schools OOB, saying that 'we must have the bldg' bc of proximity is not going to be a compelling argument.

I just can't get that. If it's a school for mid-city children, it must be conveniently located there. Otherwise, it's just another option to travel to, along with charters and OOB DCPS. It won't even have the advantage of proximity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm currently living in the Shaw area with a upcoming pk3 student. When looking for a larger home to accommodate our growing family, the lack of a path to middle school 150% affected our decision to leave the area for schools WOTP. I'm genuinely sad to leave because it is an amazing neighborhood and my child has had wonderful access to all things that living mid-city affords- tons of playgrounds, walkable to museums, libraries, and we have an easier commute, but NO viable public school path cannot be ignored. Middle school is not actually that far away when thinking in real estate purchasing terms, so for us, we couldn't bank on any of this being sorted out and don't want to be forced to move twice or play the lottery. So yes, no Shaw Middle School absolutely affects neighborhood retention and families. And now DCPS lost us as an engaged neighborhood pre-K family too since we'll have to do private. You can poo poo me and say my family will just be replaced so good riddance, and I'm lucky to be able to afford elsewhere (and the preK costs associated), but having lived in this neighborhood for 8+ years and watched it grow, my family (and the 5+ other families I've known that have also already moved) would've liked to stay, but can't see how it makes sense long term.

Cry me a river! you decided to forfeit your current neighborhood because you can’t deal with a little risk EIGHT years from now. your choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think so - I think those of you who are advocates for a Shaw Middle School really need to have a clear articulated position that considers and can respond to concerns/questions from each of these groups:

1. Stakeholders from Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland (I assume these are the loudest voices here, but could be wrong)
2. Stakeholders from Thomson, Ross, SWW-FS
3. Current MS parents at Cardozo
4. Stakeholders from Banneker

This. And no BS pseudo-reasons about the distance. We all know that is not the real reason.

What are you talking about? Location certainly is a factor, among the many others discussed here. This very convenient site for all 6 feeder schools vs. ?????

vs. Cardozo. Which is also in a convenient location, and has the advantage of already existing.

The real problem in this is that group 1 is going to be fighting a war on two fronts: against group 4, who wants DCPS to focus on a new building for Banneker, and group 2, who want to keep SWW's middle school. The group 2 folks don't want to send their kids to Shaw OR Cardozo, both because of geography and because they think the group 1 kids will drag their kids down, just like the group 1 folks think the group 3 kids will drag theirs down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think so - I think those of you who are advocates for a Shaw Middle School really need to have a clear articulated position that considers and can respond to concerns/questions from each of these groups:

1. Stakeholders from Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland (I assume these are the loudest voices here, but could be wrong)
2. Stakeholders from Thomson, Ross, SWW-FS
3. Current MS parents at Cardozo
4. Stakeholders from Banneker

This. And no BS pseudo-reasons about the distance. We all know that is not the real reason.

What are you talking about? Location certainly is a factor, among the many others discussed here. This very convenient site for all 6 feeder schools vs. ?????

vs. Cardozo. Which is also in a convenient location, and has the advantage of already existing.

The real problem in this is that group 1 is going to be fighting a war on two fronts: against group 4, who wants DCPS to focus on a new building for Banneker, and group 2, who want to keep SWW's middle school. The group 2 folks don't want to send their kids to Shaw OR Cardozo, both because of geography and because they think the group 1 kids will drag their kids down, just like the group 1 folks think the group 3 kids will drag theirs down.

Well, yes, most people here have said they will not go to Cardozo and that rings true. So, if it's Shaw site vs. Cardozo (and no other options), it's got to be Shaw or bust.

[Anonymous]

Shepherd Elementary is 4 miles from Deal. Horace Mann is 1.9 miles from Hardy. Brent is 1.5 miles from Jefferson.

Seaton is 1.1 miles from Cardozo.

[Anonymous]

I'm a parent of an older child--we recently moved away from Shaw. The kids that we knew in Logan and Shaw weren't even sticking around past Kindergarten. I can definitely see why DCPS chose the path they did--avoiding another Brookland MS scenario. Building a new facility for Banneker at this site is one of the few central office decisions I have ever supported. I can only hope the mid-city neighborhoods can get over themselves and support the kids from Banneker--they are amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shepherd Elementary is 4 miles from Deal. Horace Mann is 1.9 miles from Hardy. Brent is 1.5 miles from Jefferson.

Seaton is 1.1 miles from Cardozo.

All of those are stand alone MS options. Apples and oranges.