Difference between NW parent involvement and Capitol Hill parent involvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When Capitol Hill has NW demographics, it will also have a middle school like Deal and a high school like Wilson! 30 years.

If every child went to their by right middle school, we would have 3 schools as good as Hardy overnight. If they continued onto Eastern, it would be second only to Wilson. The demographics are in place already. People just need to show up.

And yes I understand why people haven't shown up. But frankly it all gets down to a cohort. Wilson and Deal aren't magic, they just have a cohort to support more advanced things. Splitting CH up into 3 MS reduces those cohorts and contributes to where we are today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Capitol Hill has NW demographics, it will also have a middle school like Deal and a high school like Wilson! 30 years.

If every child went to their by right middle school, we would have 3 schools as good as Hardy overnight. If they continued onto Eastern, it would be second only to Wilson. The demographics are in place already. People just need to show up.

And yes I understand why people haven't shown up. But frankly it all gets down to a cohort. Wilson and Deal aren't magic, they just have a cohort to support more advanced things. Splitting CH up into 3 MS reduces those cohorts and contributes to where we are today.

Why keep talking this way? Families just aren't turning up in large numbers - the cohort just isn't forming in our Hill middle schools. The cohort is forming at Washington Latin, BASIS and possibly Two Rivers, DCI, Creative Minds etc. It will form at Washington Latin II starting next year.

When are Capitol Hil parents going to start organizing to vote our politicians who don't support a viable 6th-12th grade path in Ward 6, including Charles Allen? Five years more of this won't be enough to change the middle school calculus. More like 10 or 15 for middle school and 20-25 for Eastern/high school. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a disconnect above between the use of "IB" to mean "in-boundary" and the use in the phrase "IB certification" that refers to an International Baccalaureate program certification for the schools.

I am a NW parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler that has observed the Capital Hill parents' struggle with schools via DCUM (and the 2013 boundary review) with empathy for the past 10 years DCPS is not interested in doing what it takes to address the needs of the high performing high SES students on Capital Hill. DCPS cannot see the forest for the trees, they are afraid of the political cost of doing what it takes to create a viable feeder path as they will be seen as pandering to high SES families. Nevermind that it woudl create a better educational path for many kids, including lower SES kids.

That causes angst.

I love our home in upper NW. That said, if we did not have children we would not be living here, we would be on Capital Hill or Dupont Circle or somewhere else more urban.

Many of us parents in both locales are both good people and difficult to deal with when our kids' educations are at risk.

This is a great post, PP. My question from here on Capitol Hill is, at what point do we reach a tipping point politically, where "pandering to high SES families" is no longer fraught with such political risk that DCPS can see the forest for the trees. Are we talking five years out, ten, fifteen? Too late for my own children surely, but will the better educational path ultimately be created, perhaps once the "temporary" Mayoral control of ed Fenty brought us is finally a thing of past? When will an elected school board with real power return??

When will city council members start to get voted out because they're not bothering to create the viable feeder path high SES families in their catchment areas want? Two decades hence? Obviously, nobody has the answers, but predictions would be interesting to consider.

Things sucked more in DC with a school board. Everyone in charge = no one in charge.

CH will get the MSs it wants in 5-10 years when high SES students dominate every grade of the ESs and continue to MS. Then people will realize that most of the teachers in the MSs are actually quite good etc. I think the comprehensive high schools may never happen but more city-wide, application or not, will be available.

In a different time, pre the big gentrification push. No one is in charge now - Bowser just isn't very interested in DCPS or keeping high SES families in the City.

I'm not buying that CH middle schools will be flooded with gentrifiers' children in 5-10 years, not when "turn key" homegrown charters like Latin are opening second campuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a disconnect above between the use of "IB" to mean "in-boundary" and the use in the phrase "IB certification" that refers to an International Baccalaureate program certification for the schools.

I am a NW parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler that has observed the Capital Hill parents' struggle with schools via DCUM (and the 2013 boundary review) with empathy for the past 10 years DCPS is not interested in doing what it takes to address the needs of the high performing high SES students on Capital Hill. DCPS cannot see the forest for the trees, they are afraid of the political cost of doing what it takes to create a viable feeder path as they will be seen as pandering to high SES families. Nevermind that it woudl create a better educational path for many kids, including lower SES kids.

That causes angst.

I love our home in upper NW. That said, if we did not have children we would not be living here, we would be on Capital Hill or Dupont Circle or somewhere else more urban.

Many of us parents in both locales are both good people and difficult to deal with when our kids' educations are at risk.

This is a great post, PP. My question from here on Capitol Hill is, at what point do we reach a tipping point politically, where "pandering to high SES families" is no longer fraught with such political risk that DCPS can see the forest for the trees. Are we talking five years out, ten, fifteen? Too late for my own children surely, but will the better educational path ultimately be created, perhaps once the "temporary" Mayoral control of ed Fenty brought us is finally a thing of past? When will an elected school board with real power return??

When will city council members start to get voted out because they're not bothering to create the viable feeder path high SES families in their catchment areas want? Two decades hence? Obviously, nobody has the answers, but predictions would be interesting to consider.

Things sucked more in DC with a school board. Everyone in charge = no one in charge.

CH will get the MSs it wants in 5-10 years when high SES students dominate every grade of the ESs and continue to MS. Then people will realize that most of the teachers in the MSs are actually quite good etc. I think the comprehensive high schools may never happen but more city-wide, application or not, will be available.

In a different time, pre the big gentrification push. No one is in charge now - Bowser just isn't very interested in DCPS or keeping high SES families in the City.

I'm not buying that CH middle schools will be flooded with gentrifiers' children in 5-10 years, not when "turn key" homegrown charters like Latin are opening second campuses.

The only thing Latin has going for it is demographics and the ability to kick people out. That is not to say it is a bad school but assume that Latin II looks more like the second and less like the NW roots of Latin I, I don't see it being a cure all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a disconnect above between the use of "IB" to mean "in-boundary" and the use in the phrase "IB certification" that refers to an International Baccalaureate program certification for the schools.

I am a NW parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler that has observed the Capital Hill parents' struggle with schools via DCUM (and the 2013 boundary review) with empathy for the past 10 years DCPS is not interested in doing what it takes to address the needs of the high performing high SES students on Capital Hill. DCPS cannot see the forest for the trees, they are afraid of the political cost of doing what it takes to create a viable feeder path as they will be seen as pandering to high SES families. Nevermind that it woudl create a better educational path for many kids, including lower SES kids.

That causes angst.

I love our home in upper NW. That said, if we did not have children we would not be living here, we would be on Capital Hill or Dupont Circle or somewhere else more urban.

Many of us parents in both locales are both good people and difficult to deal with when our kids' educations are at risk.

This is a great post, PP. My question from here on Capitol Hill is, at what point do we reach a tipping point politically, where "pandering to high SES families" is no longer fraught with such political risk that DCPS can see the forest for the trees. Are we talking five years out, ten, fifteen? Too late for my own children surely, but will the better educational path ultimately be created, perhaps once the "temporary" Mayoral control of ed Fenty brought us is finally a thing of past? When will an elected school board with real power return??

When will city council members start to get voted out because they're not bothering to create the viable feeder path high SES families in their catchment areas want? Two decades hence? Obviously, nobody has the answers, but predictions would be interesting to consider.

Things sucked more in DC with a school board. Everyone in charge = no one in charge.

CH will get the MSs it wants in 5-10 years when high SES students dominate every grade of the ESs and continue to MS. Then people will realize that most of the teachers in the MSs are actually quite good etc. I think the comprehensive high schools may never happen but more city-wide, application or not, will be available.

In a different time, pre the big gentrification push. No one is in charge now - Bowser just isn't very interested in DCPS or keeping high SES families in the City.

I'm not buying that CH middle schools will be flooded with gentrifiers' children in 5-10 years, not when "turn key" homegrown charters like Latin are opening second campuses.

The only thing Latin has going for it is demographics and the ability to kick people out. That is not to say it is a bad school but assume that Latin II looks more like the second and less like the NW roots of Latin I, I don't see it being a cure all.

This is just not true. What Latin has going for it is adults in charge who have expertise, experience, vision and flexibility in their curriculum offerings, graduation policies, college counseling, budgeting etc. Latin can offer robust geography, history and government classes in middle school. DCPS middle schools have very little of all this and it shows. Latin is not a perfect school, but given its decade-long track record of taking all comers and educating well-rounded students and graduating them into post-secondary programs and valuable scholarships; it is certainly not only demographics at play here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a disconnect above between the use of "IB" to mean "in-boundary" and the use in the phrase "IB certification" that refers to an International Baccalaureate program certification for the schools.

I am a NW parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler that has observed the Capital Hill parents' struggle with schools via DCUM (and the 2013 boundary review) with empathy for the past 10 years DCPS is not interested in doing what it takes to address the needs of the high performing high SES students on Capital Hill. DCPS cannot see the forest for the trees, they are afraid of the political cost of doing what it takes to create a viable feeder path as they will be seen as pandering to high SES families. Nevermind that it woudl create a better educational path for many kids, including lower SES kids.

That causes angst.

I love our home in upper NW. That said, if we did not have children we would not be living here, we would be on Capital Hill or Dupont Circle or somewhere else more urban.

Many of us parents in both locales are both good people and difficult to deal with when our kids' educations are at risk.

This is a great post, PP. My question from here on Capitol Hill is, at what point do we reach a tipping point politically, where "pandering to high SES families" is no longer fraught with such political risk that DCPS can see the forest for the trees. Are we talking five years out, ten, fifteen? Too late for my own children surely, but will the better educational path ultimately be created, perhaps once the "temporary" Mayoral control of ed Fenty brought us is finally a thing of past? When will an elected school board with real power return??

When will city council members start to get voted out because they're not bothering to create the viable feeder path high SES families in their catchment areas want? Two decades hence? Obviously, nobody has the answers, but predictions would be interesting to consider.

Things sucked more in DC with a school board. Everyone in charge = no one in charge.

CH will get the MSs it wants in 5-10 years when high SES students dominate every grade of the ESs and continue to MS. Then people will realize that most of the teachers in the MSs are actually quite good etc. I think the comprehensive high schools may never happen but more city-wide, application or not, will be available.

In a different time, pre the big gentrification push. No one is in charge now - Bowser just isn't very interested in DCPS or keeping high SES families in the City.

I'm not buying that CH middle schools will be flooded with gentrifiers' children in 5-10 years, not when "turn key" homegrown charters like Latin are opening second campuses.

The only thing Latin has going for it is demographics and the ability to kick people out. That is not to say it is a bad school but assume that Latin II looks more like the second and less like the NW roots of Latin I, I don't see it being a cure all.

This is just not true. What Latin has going for it is adults in charge who have expertise, experience, vision and flexibility in their curriculum offerings, graduation policies, college counseling, budgeting etc. Latin can offer robust geography, history and government classes in middle school. DCPS middle schools have very little of all this and it shows. Latin is not a perfect school, but given its decade-long track record of taking all comers and educating well-rounded students and graduating them into post-secondary programs and valuable scholarships; it is certainly not only demographics at play here

not "only" but largely. Once demographics are factored Latin's MS achievement numbers are pretty underwhelming

[Anonymous]

You're painting with too broad a brush when considering "results." The PARCC doesn't test geography, history, government, classics/Latin...it tests math and English, nothing more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're painting with too broad a brush when considering "results." The PARCC doesn't test geography, history, government, classics/Latin...it tests math and English, nothing more.

Like it or not it's the yard stick everyone uses on here. i suspect YY is better at teaching Mandarin than any other DC public but it's not exactly foundational.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're painting with too broad a brush when considering "results." The PARCC doesn't test geography, history, government, classics/Latin...it tests math and English, nothing more.

Like it or not it's the yard stick everyone uses on here. i suspect YY is better at teaching Mandarin than any other DC public but it's not exactly foundational.

Not quite everybody. We opt out of the silly PARCC. We really just look at demographics when picking DC public schools (% of high SES families. % of Asian families because we're Asian).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're painting with too broad a brush when considering "results." The PARCC doesn't test geography, history, government, classics/Latin...it tests math and English, nothing more.

Like it or not it's the yard stick everyone uses on here. i suspect YY is better at teaching Mandarin than any other DC public but it's not exactly foundational.

Not quite everybody. We opt out of the silly PARCC. We really just look at demographics when picking DC public schools (% of high SES families. % of Asian families because we're Asian).

Inane comment as PARCC mostly aligns with your given criteria. Some schools just underperform with or without minuscule Asian representation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a disconnect above between the use of "IB" to mean "in-boundary" and the use in the phrase "IB certification" that refers to an International Baccalaureate program certification for the schools.

I am a NW parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler that has observed the Capital Hill parents' struggle with schools via DCUM (and the 2013 boundary review) with empathy for the past 10 years DCPS is not interested in doing what it takes to address the needs of the high performing high SES students on Capital Hill. DCPS cannot see the forest for the trees, they are afraid of the political cost of doing what it takes to create a viable feeder path as they will be seen as pandering to high SES families. Nevermind that it woudl create a better educational path for many kids, including lower SES kids.

That causes angst.

I love our home in upper NW. That said, if we did not have children we would not be living here, we would be on Capital Hill or Dupont Circle or somewhere else more urban.

Many of us parents in both locales are both good people and difficult to deal with when our kids' educations are at risk.

This is a great post, PP. My question from here on Capitol Hill is, at what point do we reach a tipping point politically, where "pandering to high SES families" is no longer fraught with such political risk that DCPS can see the forest for the trees. Are we talking five years out, ten, fifteen? Too late for my own children surely, but will the better educational path ultimately be created, perhaps once the "temporary" Mayoral control of ed Fenty brought us is finally a thing of past? When will an elected school board with real power return??

When will city council members start to get voted out because they're not bothering to create the viable feeder path high SES families in their catchment areas want? Two decades hence? Obviously, nobody has the answers, but predictions would be interesting to consider.

Things sucked more in DC with a school board. Everyone in charge = no one in charge.

CH will get the MSs it wants in 5-10 years when high SES students dominate every grade of the ESs and continue to MS. Then people will realize that most of the teachers in the MSs are actually quite good etc. I think the comprehensive high schools may never happen but more city-wide, application or not, will be available.

In a different time, pre the big gentrification push. No one is in charge now - Bowser just isn't very interested in DCPS or keeping high SES families in the City.

I'm not buying that CH middle schools will be flooded with gentrifiers' children in 5-10 years, not when "turn key" homegrown charters like Latin are opening second campuses.

The only thing Latin has going for it is demographics and the ability to kick people out. That is not to say it is a bad school but assume that Latin II looks more like the second and less like the NW roots of Latin I, I don't see it being a cure all.

This is just not true. What Latin has going for it is adults in charge who have expertise, experience, vision and flexibility in their curriculum offerings, graduation policies, college counseling, budgeting etc. Latin can offer robust geography, history and government classes in middle school. DCPS middle schools have very little of all this and it shows. Latin is not a perfect school, but given its decade-long track record of taking all comers and educating well-rounded students and graduating them into post-secondary programs and valuable scholarships; it is certainly not only demographics at play here

not "only" but largely. Once demographics are factored Latin's MS achievement numbers are pretty underwhelming

This is true. And non-white achievement has declined over the last several years. Non-white students had better achievement scores when the school was less wealthy and less white.

[Anonymous]

Right, so you won't send your CH 5th grader to WL if they crack the lottery? You'd prefer Eliot-Hine, Jefferson Academy or Stuart Hobson?

Sheesh, it's not as though we have the world of choice on the public MS shopping front here EotP. We have neighbors who would have bailed for the burbs after many years on the Hill if their oldest sib hadn't cracked the WL or BASIS lottery.

There are scores of middle and high schools in this City where non-whites don't perform very well. At least we have a few where most enrolled students do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right, so you won't send your CH 5th grader to WL if they crack the lottery? You'd prefer Eliot-Hine, Jefferson Academy or Stuart Hobson?

Sheesh, it's not as though we have the world of choice on the public MS shopping front here EotP. We have neighbors who would have bailed for the burbs after many years on the Hill if their oldest sib hadn't cracked the WL or BASIS lottery.

There are scores of middle and high schools in this City where non-whites don't perform very well. At least we have a few where most enrolled students do.

And by most, I assume you mean white. So what do you do if your child is black?

[Anonymous]

Ignore the troll race-baiter above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right, so you won't send your CH 5th grader to WL if they crack the lottery? You'd prefer Eliot-Hine, Jefferson Academy or Stuart Hobson?

Sheesh, it's not as though we have the world of choice on the public MS shopping front here EotP. We have neighbors who would have bailed for the burbs after many years on the Hill if their oldest sib hadn't cracked the WL or BASIS lottery.

There are scores of middle and high schools in this City where non-whites don't perform very well. At least we have a few where most enrolled students do.

Exactly. No CH parent is going to turn down a spot at Latin, Basis, or DCI. Period. We all know it. It’s where the higher performing peer groups are. What is sad is that EH, JA, and SH doesn’t even come close in peer group. The stats are dismal. And no, a few UMC families sending their kids to any of these schools is not going to cut it.