ludlow-taylor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: LT leadership is committed to educating poor (and because we are DC) thus largely AA kids. Admirable and much needed. This generates tension with local gentrifiers who would like to send their kids to a more affluent, racially diverse neighborhood school. Also understandable. The problem for these two groups is that there is no middle ground. If more affluent, white kids start coming to the school, others will follow, and pretty soon your classroom demographics look like Brent: two thirds white and 10% FARMS. Once a tipping point is reached the change comes very fast. The result being that 200+ good quality ES seats are lost to poor black families. LT leadership has good reason to resist this, except that LT is a neighborhood school and thus meant to serve a local community. I wonder if some middle ground could be found if schools were prevented from gentrifying quite as much and as quickly as Brent has. Perhaps by reserving seats for FARMS kids at all schools. For a city with a demographic profile like DC setting a floor of 35% low SES kids in any school might be healthy. Might entice us gentrifiers to invest in neighborhood schools with the test scores and classroom diversity we are looking for, while mitigating resistance from educators who are passionate about meeting the needs of under privileged kids.

ACtually Brent is already overcrowded in the lower grades with in boundary families who have a right to their neighborhood school. What would you do with those families while the seats they would occupy are occupied with the 35% low SES kids? My feeling is that the answer is not in engineering a mix in only the school, but engineering a mix in the neighborhood around the school. More affordable, mixed-income housing that feeds into Brent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
At any rate every LT classroom has a Smartboard now. And the teachers in K-5 are fabulous. If you can't see that or don't want to take the time to see that (more likely the case) or simply want to incessantly bring up that you have seen MD tags that's too bad for you. But it is a LIE to say that parents don't have a viable neighborhood school. Go observe a class in an upper grade. It is better to make comments based on fact.

Yes. This.

OK, 13:26, and your supporter. if the parents truly have a viable neighborhood school, why are so few from the neighborhood enrolling their children? Why are fewer doing this than several years ago, even as the IB population of 3-5 year olds grows? I don't have all the answers, but wish DCPS and the pols would stop to ASK the Stanton Park gentrifiers--the majority of neighborhood residents--why they avoid LT for K up almost to a family.

Parent group cohesion born of interaction on local playgrounds is relevant here- Maury IB parents of toddlers met, and began organizing to overhaul their school, at Lincoln Park, and Brent parents did so at Marion Park. At Stanton Park, you end up comparing little kids' lottery numbers for SWS, Logan Montessori, Peabody, Two Rivers, Yu Ying, AppleTree etc.

I have observed upper grades classes at LT and, pretty clearly, they aren't going to be advanced enough eventually for my four year old, who can read beginning reader books, in 2 languages. In an increasingly competitive world, I don't feel I can risk putting her in classes where most kids have parents who aren't married or well-educated, can't speak grammatically (although English is their first language), and struggle financially, no matter their race, or how good teachers and facilities may be. This is why I wouldn't enroll her in public school in my little hometown. My town is overwhelmingly white, and boasts some nice looking schools and fine educators, yet suffers from a high school drop-out rate on a par with the District's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
ACtually Brent is already overcrowded in the lower grades with in boundary families who have a right to their neighborhood school. What would you do with those families while the seats they would occupy are occupied with the 35% low SES kids? My feeling is that the answer is not in engineering a mix in only the school, but engineering a mix in the neighborhood around the school. More affordable, mixed-income housing that feeds into Brent.

I'm in boundry for Brent and I agree with this entirely. Change has happened very fast-- uncomfortably fast-- but setting aside spots is insulting to all. All neighborhoods should have great schools in their neighborhood-- kids should not be bussed into a handful of good schools. But we appreciate diversity in our nieghborhood schools, but it get that we should focus on making neighborhoods more diverse. The city should work on creating more affordable housing in Brent area (increase section 8 vouchers, etc.) and work to develop nicer housing stock to attract high income families to neighborhoods that currently have few high income families.

[Anonymous]

So, does anyone who cares about increasing opportunities for both the low-SES and high-SES kids at LT care to organize? Either meeting with Cobbs (which some have tried unsuccessfully), someone from the school board or an elected official? Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Waiting for new Ward 6 CM to start the conversation. Wells is fine with Cobbs so no point in raising leadership issues with him or the DC City Council Committee on Education on which he sits. Been there, done that, off to an in-demand charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
At any rate every LT classroom has a Smartboard now. And the teachers in K-5 are fabulous. If you can't see that or don't want to take the time to see that (more likely the case) or simply want to incessantly bring up that you have seen MD tags that's too bad for you. But it is a LIE to say that parents don't have a viable neighborhood school. Go observe a class in an upper grade. It is better to make comments based on fact.

Yes. This.

OK, 13:26, and your supporter. if the parents truly have a viable neighborhood school, why are so few from the neighborhood enrolling their children? Why are fewer doing this than several years ago, even as the IB population of 3-5 year olds grows? I don't have all the answers, but wish DCPS and the pols would stop to ASK the Stanton Park gentrifiers--the majority of neighborhood residents--why they avoid LT for K up almost to a family.

Parent group cohesion born of interaction on local playgrounds is relevant here- Maury IB parents of toddlers met, and began organizing to overhaul their school, at Lincoln Park, and Brent parents did so at Marion Park. At Stanton Park, you end up comparing little kids' lottery numbers for SWS, Logan Montessori, Peabody, Two Rivers, Yu Ying, AppleTree etc.

I have observed upper grades classes at LT and, pretty clearly, they aren't going to be advanced enough eventually for my four year old, who can read beginning reader books, in 2 languages. In an increasingly competitive world, I don't feel I can risk putting her in classes where most kids have parents who aren't married or well-educated, can't speak grammatically (although English is their first language), and struggle financially, no matter their race, or how good teachers and facilities may be. This is why I wouldn't enroll her in public school in my little hometown. My town is overwhelmingly white, and boasts some nice looking schools and fine educators, yet suffers from a high school drop-out rate on a par with the District's.

Here's the thing: LT doesn't need "overhaul." And if white affluent parents came to the table respecting the school as a solid institution with great teachers that do a good job educating kids in a safe and respectful environment, there would be no problem.

Instead, many seem to see 3rd/4th/5th-grade classrooms full of black children, assume the worst, and then get mad that the administration isn't falling over itself with gratitude for their very presence.

I think it would be great if LT were a neighborhood school, because I think it's great for kids to attend neighborhood schools. We're an OOB family, but we're still roughly in the neighborhood, and I love running into other LT families at playgrounds, etc.

That's -not- the same as thinking LT would be improved by having more (white, affluent) families from the immediate neighborhood.

The truth is, under Fenty & Rhee, there -were- meetings with IB families who did not send their kids to LT, asking them what they'd like to see at the school. And then the families already at the school were (understandably, IMHO) ticked off -- they were already committing to the school, why not ask THEM what they'd like to see at the school??

The whole thing was exacerbated by demographics -- the families at the school were predominantly African-American, while the families invited to meetings were white. It smelled really strongly of Fenty & Rhee wanting to woo white families and not giving a damn about black families. (And honestly? I think it smelled that way because it -was- that way.)

Cobb was brought in around that time, and I think she has gone to some effort to reassure the existing families at LT that she values them and is committed to their kids -- she's not gonna throw them over trying to win over skeptical white parents.

I was very impressed with a speech she gave at a parents' meeting a couple years ago -- there was a (well-intentioned, I am positive, but very awkwardly worded) speech from a white parent about how the classrooms full of black kids are a deterrent and families [he didn't say white families, but it was implied] need to band together and pledge to stick around. As a white parent in the room, I was mortified; if I were a black parent in the room, I don't even know what I would have thought.

Cobbs stood up, obviously in damage control mode. The one thing she said that stuck out for me was, "We love our 5th graders!"
And I loved that -- I loved that she was refusing to accept the premise that a classroom full of black children is a bad thing.

Unfortunately, I think for a lot of white parents, that's what it comes down to: They aren't comfortable having their kids be onesies or twosies, they want a critical mass of white (or at least, non-black) kids in the room. That's what it will take to make them feel comfortable keeping their child at LT for the duration.

But let's not confuse getting more white kids in the class with improving the school.

[Anonymous]

There are not many but there are some white/high SES families in the upper grades. Maybe talk to them? Clearly they are having positive experiences or they wouldn't stay. Maybe LT really is "the best kept secret on the hill."

[Anonymous]

^ OK, we hear you. You make several good points. I'm surely not alone in appreciating the historic perspective you provide.

Of course LT would be improved--dramatically--by having more (white, affluent) families from the immediate neighborhood. Jut look at Maury, where DC-CAS scores leapt up 28 points in reading this year, and 19 in math, arguably because most of the kids in the large cohort of high-SES/predominantly white families who started in Pres3 in 2008 stayed on to 3rd grade. There is no other plausible explanation, other than widespread cheating (not being argued in this case)for the sudden and dramatic rise in scores. Even if you aren't enamored of standardized testing, there's no denying that it's a new day for Maury.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax, where admissions are race-blind, only has half a dozen AA kids in its freshman class? There are reasons that high-SES parents of all races are generally reluctant to send their kids to schools where most of their classmates (vs. kids in the building) are black and lower-middle-class or poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are not many but there are some white/high SES families in the upper grades. Maybe talk to them? Clearly they are having positive experiences or they wouldn't stay. Maybe LT really is "the best kept secret on the hill."

I talk to them, regularly. They have the patience of saints. More power to them, although they aren't exactly mainstream for Stanton Park gentrifiers. The high-SES families I know at LT past PreK are lovely people, lovely, super liberal on-the-verge-of-hippie people. Most of us are more middle of the road, socially and politically.

[Anonymous]

^^ Great idea. Probably worth while to attend a PTA meeting? If anyone runs across one of these families, could you have them post here or relay what they said?

[Anonymous]

oh

[Anonymous]

Realtor friends tell me that only around 15% of CH householders (owners and tenants) live with children, and that property values have been rising steadily across Ward 6 for the past couple years.

In short, the high-ses IB LT parents don't have the votes/numbers/clout to change much of anything at the school. Those with stamina for annoying commutes always seem to find, or pay for, an ES spot they're OK with; those without move.

One day, maybe 10 years from now, the school will start to become a real neighborhood school. Until then, I'm leaving any more dispiriting LT PTA meetings to the die-hard optimists among us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are not many but there are some white/high SES families in the upper grades. Maybe talk to them? Clearly they are having positive experiences or they wouldn't stay. Maybe LT really is "the best kept secret on the hill."

I talk to them, regularly. They have the patience of saints. More power to them, although they aren't exactly mainstream for Stanton Park gentrifiers. The high-SES families I know at LT past PreK are lovely people, lovely, super liberal on-the-verge-of-hippie people. Most of us are more middle of the road, socially and politically.


Do they think their children are getting a quality education? Do they like the teachers? Do their children feel safe and welcome? Are their children making friends and building positive relationships with their classmates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are not many but there are some white/high SES families in the upper grades. Maybe talk to them? Clearly they are having positive experiences or they wouldn't stay. Maybe LT really is "the best kept secret on the hill."

I talk to them, regularly. They have the patience of saints. More power to them, although they aren't exactly mainstream for Stanton Park gentrifiers. The high-SES families I know at LT past PreK are lovely people, lovely, super liberal on-the-verge-of-hippie people. Most of us are more middle of the road, socially and politically.

Do they think their children are getting a quality education? Do they like the teachers? Do their children feel safe and welcome? Are their children making friends and building positive relationships with their classmates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Realtor friends tell me that only around 15% of CH householders (owners and tenants) live with children, and that property values have been rising steadily across Ward 6 for the past couple years.

In short, the high-ses IB LT parents don't have the votes/numbers/clout to change much of anything at the school. Those with stamina for annoying commutes always seem to find, or pay for, an ES spot they're OK with; those without move.

One day, maybe 10 years from now, the school will start to become a real neighborhood school. Until then, I'm leaving any more dispiriting LT PTA meetings to the die-hard optimists among us.

As was said much earlier in this thread -- as long as engaged parents are unwilling to fight for their neighborhood schools and willing to drive across town for the promise of a better charter school, neighborhood schools like L-T will die out. That's what "choice" is really all about - the "choice" (i.e., the ability) to send your kids to a decent school across town, because DCPS is making it difficult to send your kids to the neighborhood school. They can't turn the tide to charters without your help and so far they're getting it.

I bet that even parents who choose private schools are more likely to end up in schools in their neighborhoods than charter school parents do. THink about it -- most of the expensive private schools are conveniently located in the expensive neighborhoods. So those kids can walk to their schools, or get a short car ride from their parents on their way to work. The engaged but non-rich parents get to play the lottery, drive their kids all over town or fight a losing battle to improve their neighborhood schools.

The poor parents and their kids - well forget about them. They get the dregs, as usual.

And this they call "school reform."