Letter from Cancellor re moving schools - opps - I got caught moving my kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The long term mental health effects of stressors in childhood have been WELL documented. I'm guessing the Chancellor knows all the latest research and that's why he pulled his kid. No kid should face this scenario though. OSSE is a horrible, school reform organization. You DON'T want them running DCPS. Who can detail all the fingers in the pie (I've never been able to figure it out, and I worked for DCPS) so we can figure out the ideal structure????? I would personally say MORE power should go to Mayor/Council/Chancellor/DCPS central office and MORE accountability-but that the hires should be legit educators willing to innovate, and throw out the garbage testing. right now, with so many circus masters, they can play the age-old fingers pointing game.

So all the kids at Dunbar should be transferred to Wilson because of "stressors"? Why just one kid?

What about Gallium?

No. Dunbar should be improved. Period. Or closed.

[Anonymous]

How long is he going to drag this out?? From the moment this went down, it was so obvious that this is not politically survivable. Now, 7 council members have called for his resignation. He's just making a fool of himself and Bowser at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brandon Todd's response reads as if he asked an assistant to write the most underwhelming and meaninglessly trite statement.

The good news? His assistant succeeded.

https://twitter.com/CMBrandonTodd/status/965973681427091457

He's just a Muriel puppet, like Muriel was a Fenty puppet. This is why they have so many non-voters/contra-voters in Ward 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The long term mental health effects of stressors in childhood have been WELL documented. I'm guessing the Chancellor knows all the latest research and that's why he pulled his kid. No kid should face this scenario though. OSSE is a horrible, school reform organization. You DON'T want them running DCPS. Who can detail all the fingers in the pie (I've never been able to figure it out, and I worked for DCPS) so we can figure out the ideal structure????? I would personally say MORE power should go to Mayor/Council/Chancellor/DCPS central office and MORE accountability-but that the hires should be legit educators willing to innovate, and throw out the garbage testing. right now, with so many circus masters, they can play the age-old fingers pointing game.

So all the kids at Dunbar should be transferred to Wilson because of "stressors"? Why just one kid?

What about Gallium?

No. Dunbar should be improved. Period. Or closed.

I'm not excusing the chancellor. I'm pitying the kids at Dunbar and Ballou. His actions acknowledge what a * show those schools are. As Mulder used to say, "the truth is out there." It's unconscionable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The long term mental health effects of stressors in childhood have been WELL documented. I'm guessing the Chancellor knows all the latest research and that's why he pulled his kid. No kid should face this scenario though. OSSE is a horrible, school reform organization. You DON'T want them running DCPS. Who can detail all the fingers in the pie (I've never been able to figure it out, and I worked for DCPS) so we can figure out the ideal structure????? I would personally say MORE power should go to Mayor/Council/Chancellor/DCPS central office and MORE accountability-but that the hires should be legit educators willing to innovate, and throw out the garbage testing. right now, with so many circus masters, they can play the age-old fingers pointing game.

So all the kids at Dunbar should be transferred to Wilson because of "stressors"? Why just one kid?

What about Gallium?

Plus Since I have no trust in this man I honestly believe he could be exaggerating his daughter’s situation. My bet is that she was not prepared for an arts focused education at Ellington. She may have been out of her depth. I’ve yet to read a news story that confirms definitively that she actually applied and auditioned there.

[Anonymous]

of course she didn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brandon Todd's response reads as if he asked an assistant to write the most underwhelming and meaninglessly trite statement.

The good news? His assistant succeeded.

https://twitter.com/CMBrandonTodd/status/965973681427091457

He's just a Muriel puppet, like Muriel was a Fenty puppet. This is why they have so many non-voters/contra-voters in Ward 4.

I emailed Todd this morning telling him that the next go around he absolutely does not have my vote. I hope that someone great will run for ward 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The long term mental health effects of stressors in childhood have been WELL documented. I'm guessing the Chancellor knows all the latest research and that's why he pulled his kid. No kid should face this scenario though. OSSE is a horrible, school reform organization. You DON'T want them running DCPS. Who can detail all the fingers in the pie (I've never been able to figure it out, and I worked for DCPS) so we can figure out the ideal structure????? I would personally say MORE power should go to Mayor/Council/Chancellor/DCPS central office and MORE accountability-but that the hires should be legit educators willing to innovate, and throw out the garbage testing. right now, with so many circus masters, they can play the age-old fingers pointing game.

So all the kids at Dunbar should be transferred to Wilson because of "stressors"? Why just one kid?

What about Gallium?

Plus Since I have no trust in this man I honestly believe he could be exaggerating his daughter’s situation. My bet is that she was not prepared for an arts focused education at Ellington. She may have been out of her depth. I’ve yet to read a news story that confirms definitively that she actually applied and auditioned there.

+1 I've known a lot of Ellington kids. Some changed back to their home schools after a year, but literally zero have reported an environment so stressful that they couldn't make it through the first month. Ellington is not Dunbar. It is not Ballou. It's also not right for every kid, but I strongly suspect Wilson of exaggeration, or of downplaying mental health struggles that predated matriculation at Ellington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if only he had consulted DCUM...

DCUM could have saved his job.

No one could be surprised by the anger such a move would generate from parents of DC students. Even if he keeps his job, he'll never recover in the eyes of parents and all his talk about building up schools will ring hollow and meaningless.

really?! there was no such outpouring of wrath for Fenty (who went on to do it a second time). Even last year - no heads rolled, no kids lost their spots. This is surprising to me. I feel very sorry for him and his family but I am very happy to see this bullshit will no longer be tolerated. It will never happen again (Fenty's kids are on their own now - if they want Latin or SWS then they'll have to go through the process).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brandon Todd's response reads as if he asked an assistant to write the most underwhelming and meaninglessly trite statement.

The good news? His assistant succeeded.

https://twitter.com/CMBrandonTodd/status/965973681427091457

He's just a Muriel puppet, like Muriel was a Fenty puppet. This is why they have so many non-voters/contra-voters in Ward 4.

I emailed Todd this morning telling him that the next go around he absolutely does not have my vote. I hope that someone great will run for ward 4.

I didn't email Todd, but I definitely will not vote for him again and will happily tell him why next time he knocks on my door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if only he had consulted DCUM...

DCUM could have saved his job.

No one could be surprised by the anger such a move would generate from parents of DC students. Even if he keeps his job, he'll never recover in the eyes of parents and all his talk about building up schools will ring hollow and meaningless.

really?! there was no such outpouring of wrath for Fenty (who went on to do it a second time). Even last year - no heads rolled, no kids lost their spots. This is surprising to me. I feel very sorry for him and his family but I am very happy to see this bullshit will no longer be tolerated. It will never happen again (Fenty's kids are on their own now - if they want Latin or SWS then they'll have to go through the process).

Plenty of folks I know were seething about the Snowden placement and thought her child should have been moved out of Logan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s been said already but I still cannot get over why he would buy in NE with 3 school-aged kids. Even if he assumed his daughter would be okay at Wilson, what was his plan for his other two kids? He could’ve bought a gorgeous home in Shepherd Park for $1m (same as what he paid in NE).

Have you seen the pics of the home he bought in N.E.? It’s Langdon, not Brookland, and screams nouveau-riche.

NP, I tried shopblocker to no avail.

Please share, if someone knows. Because evidently the chancellor and I must be close neighbors if he is in Langdon. I'd really like to know why MY son has to play the lottery and hope for the best to avoid Dunbar, but his daughter is somehow above my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if only he had consulted DCUM...

DCUM could have saved his job.

No one could be surprised by the anger such a move would generate from parents of DC students. Even if he keeps his job, he'll never recover in the eyes of parents and all his talk about building up schools will ring hollow and meaningless.

really?! there was no such outpouring of wrath for Fenty (who went on to do it a second time). Even last year - no heads rolled, no kids lost their spots. This is surprising to me. I feel very sorry for him and his family but I am very happy to see this bullshit will no longer be tolerated. It will never happen again (Fenty's kids are on their own now - if they want Latin or SWS then they'll have to go through the process).

With Fenty it was like "eh, let the Mayor have this one." Plus, OOB lottery was easier then, so fewer people felt shut out and abandoned.

But then it trickled out that Henderson was giving them away to appease known assholes like Snowden or to further her career by sucking up to the guy from the Obama administration (I'd love to name him but have since forgotten) while bullying teachers who asked for similar transfers.

After the shitstorm that followed and the credit that Wilson took for re-writing the rule (to an even stricter standard than Bowser wanted--she wanted to leave in wiggle room for cronyism), anyone tuned in could see this coming a mile away.

Maybe the leaders of DC didn't realize how furious people are.

[Anonymous]

I picture this: Wilson announces to his family that they are moving to DC. Child doesn't want to upend life and leave friends yadda yadda. A teenager can be difficult in the best of circumstances. Imagine this one. Parents tell her, but we'll be in an awesome house and this fantastic, brand new performing arts high school where you can study dance. You'll love it. Let's go! Fast forward to three weeks into the school year--new place, new people, hard to break into social groups in sophomore year. School does not live up to the awesome experience her parents promised to get her across the country. She's lonely, anxious, depressed, still in touch with good friends back in Oakland, mad as hell at her parents. emotional and social crisis ensues. Parents panic and do whatever it takes to get their lovely, happy girl back amidst guilt over making her so unhappy. "tunnel vision". The worst is that IF she was making a good go of it at Wilson, she has now been yanked out of that school. Horrible all around. No matter what the dad has done, I do wish they had let the girl stay at Wilson until the end of the year if at all possible. Also wish the parents had opted for private or Dunbar if she absolutely had to leave Ellington. Going private due to social/emotional issues is much easier to explain than cheating the whole system and losing integrity and trust.

[Anonymous]

Meeting just ended with Bowser, Grosso and Mendelsohn.

Mendelsohn said they discussed 'all options' wrt the chancellor's status.