Mayor Plans to Underfund Charter Schools

[Anonymous]

DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Wait, what? Eagle Academy parents want to know.

This review cycle will likely see some shutdowns and conditional continuances, as well as some voluntary closures for financial reasons or because the schools know they can't survive review. And yes, many of those schools are EOTR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Wait, what? Eagle Academy parents want to know.

This review cycle will likely see some shutdowns and conditional continuances, as well as some voluntary closures for financial reasons or because the schools know they can't survive review. And yes, many of those schools are EOTR.

Eagle Academy is an example of several problems. For years, charters were opened anywhere/ everywhere with no thought about proximity to other charter schools or public schools. They oversaturated the market. Second, there was huge mismanagement and leadership issues after the former principal/school leader left Eagle Academy. Also IMO the charter school board failed at seeing that problem coming and handling it properly.

Not directly related to funding, but in general the city has slowed down and stopped opening as many charter schools without thinking about the demand. It is actually part of the boundary review report that came out last year. Also the birth rate in DC has gone down so there are fewer kids applying to too many open seats, especially east of the river.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Please stop telling lies. How many charter management organizations are operating in DC? I'll wait for you to look it up because just using that as a talking point shows you are ok with spewing falsehoods because you hate charters and the truth doesn't matter.

The EOTP charters in ward 7 and 8 are filled with minority and at-risk families trying to get a better chance for their kids. I get it, you and many are only worried about the white families fleeing to Basis and Latin and DCI but are you truly comfortable taking away chances for other kids who have many, many fewer opportunities overall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Please stop telling lies. How many charter management organizations are operating in DC? I'll wait for you to look it up because just using that as a talking point shows you are ok with spewing falsehoods because you hate charters and the truth doesn't matter.

The EOTP charters in ward 7 and 8 are filled with minority and at-risk families trying to get a better chance for their kids. I get it, you and many are only worried about the white families fleeing to Basis and Latin and DCI but are you truly comfortable taking away chances for other kids who have many, many fewer opportunities overall?

Isn't the point of funding DCPS about trying to ensure that all children have opportunities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't these all public schools? Shouldn't they all be funded the same way? I can understand funding schools differently if they serve a lot of at-risk kids, kids learning english, kids with disabilities, etc., but otherwise who cares if it is a charter school or a DCPS school. Schools are schools. Kids are kids. No?

They are not the same. The union issue is well established here. As is the special ed. But it really cannot be stated enough that charter schools simply do not have to serve the same population as DCPS. And they don't want to. Look at what happens at charters Nov. 1 after enrollment numbers for the year are finalized. Look at the requirements for teaching. Look at the marketing frankly.

DCPS schools are community hubs. Charter schools serve only their families and students. And they want the same city resources without contributing to the city in the same way.

I'm not demonizing parents who send their kids to charters, but a massive flaw in DC education is that charters have been given equal footing to community schools at the expense of those communities.

Tell me more about all the resources that DCPS is pouring into special education. "The US Dept of Education says in letter today that it has opened an investigation into DC Public Schools for “failing to meet the needs of students with special needs or disabilities.”

https://x.com/tomsherwood/status/1897448309926559982

And charter schools in DC serve a higher percentage of students with disabilities than DCPS.

It needs to be acknowledged that there are disabilities that require more resources than others. DCPS has CES programs at many schools. The ratio of teacher to student is very low, there needs to be an aid and the teacher has specialized training. This is much more costly than kids with 504s or need extended time. DCPS serves the students in the city who need to most specialized support.

Is there some reason that you won't even do basic research on publicly available information? There is a higher share of level 3 and level 4 students in charters than in DCPS. There are 4 special ed levels - 1 to 4. With the lowest service hours for level 1 and the highest for level 4. This information is available in OSSE enrollment reports online.

Please just say that it needs to be acknowledged that no matter the facts, you will continue to assert that DCPS should get more resources even if they are serving students with fewer needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Brent, Maury, Ludlow Taylor and Stuart Hobson would like a word. You know many words. Not so much about schools. But still many words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Wait, what? Eagle Academy parents want to know.

This review cycle will likely see some shutdowns and conditional continuances, as well as some voluntary closures for financial reasons or because the schools know they can't survive review. And yes, many of those schools are EOTR.

Eagle Academy is an example of several problems. For years, charters were opened anywhere/ everywhere with no thought about proximity to other charter schools or public schools. They oversaturated the market. Second, there was huge mismanagement and leadership issues after the former principal/school leader left Eagle Academy. Also IMO the charter school board failed at seeing that problem coming and handling it properly.

Excellent point. We all know that DCPS is a model of management function...You embarrass yourself asserting that management acumen is where DCPS really shines. Also, "charters" are not a monolith. Some are well run. Some are Eagle.

https://dcist.com/story/23/05/11/dcps-unlawfully-awarded-contracts-worth-270-million/
2023 - D.C. Public Schools unlawfully awarded 36 contracts worth an estimated $270 million over the last three years, raising significant concerns around its financial management and forcing the D.C. Council to start retroactively approving the contracts to ensure that vendors for everything from school meals to special education services could be paid.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/a-short-guide-to-dc-public-schools-scandals/2018/03/08/c40e2c4e-2170-11e8-94da-ebf9d112159c_story.html
A short guide to the D.C. Public Schools scandals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Brent, Maury, Ludlow Taylor and Stuart Hobson would like a word. You know many words. Not so much about schools. But still many words.

These schools are not EOTR. Try to keep up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/03/04/bowser-dc-school-budget-education/

I am a charter school parent and I am deeply disappointed in Mayor Bowser, who I voted for. DC Charter schools educate over 47% of students in the District. Yet the Mayor's proposed new funding shorts charter schools by millions of dollars.

When our kid's best and favorite teacher takes a job at another school or the school cuts a beloved extracurricular program next year, let's all remember that this Mayor doesn't see all kids in DC the same, and doesn't fund all schools the same.

DC Charter schools have little to no oversite and are siphoning funds away from the public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/03/04/bowser-dc-school-budget-education/

I am a charter school parent and I am deeply disappointed in Mayor Bowser, who I voted for. DC Charter schools educate over 47% of students in the District. Yet the Mayor's proposed new funding shorts charter schools by millions of dollars.

When our kid's best and favorite teacher takes a job at another school or the school cuts a beloved extracurricular program next year, let's all remember that this Mayor doesn't see all kids in DC the same, and doesn't fund all schools the same.

DC Charter schools have little to no oversite and are siphoning funds away from the public schools.

DCPS pays six figure salaries to its gym teachers. They don't exactly seem to be hurting. It's charters that are underfunded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is small but has a regionalized school system, so dollar for dollar comparisons only go so far.

WOTP there are zero charters.
EOTP charters are often a refuge for the white and try to avoid catering to the majority. And a good number are also 'inculcation/achievement' oriented charters that white parents never send their kids to, like a KIPP or Friendship.
EOTR charters are growing and DCPS are shriveling away.

Now if you average all these things out you just smooth over differences.

But on the major point this thread got started - WTU raises shouldn't just go to charters. if history is any guide they wouldn't even necessarily be given as staff pay - they would just be 'block-granted' to the myriad charter management organizations. (You know, the ones where the Executive Directors pay themselves $300,000 a year.)

Wait, what? Eagle Academy parents want to know.

This review cycle will likely see some shutdowns and conditional continuances, as well as some voluntary closures for financial reasons or because the schools know they can't survive review. And yes, many of those schools are EOTR.

Eagle Academy is an example of several problems. For years, charters were opened anywhere/ everywhere with no thought about proximity to other charter schools or public schools. They oversaturated the market. Second, there was huge mismanagement and leadership issues after the former principal/school leader left Eagle Academy. Also IMO the charter school board failed at seeing that problem coming and handling it properly.

Excellent point. We all know that DCPS is a model of management function...You embarrass yourself asserting that management acumen is where DCPS really shines. Also, "charters" are not a monolith. Some are well run. Some are Eagle.

https://dcist.com/story/23/05/11/dcps-unlawfully-awarded-contracts-worth-270-million/
2023 - D.C. Public Schools unlawfully awarded 36 contracts worth an estimated $270 million over the last three years, raising significant concerns around its financial management and forcing the D.C. Council to start retroactively approving the contracts to ensure that vendors for everything from school meals to special education services could be paid.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/a-short-guide-to-dc-public-schools-scandals/2018/03/08/c40e2c4e-2170-11e8-94da-ebf9d112159c_story.html
A short guide to the D.C. Public Schools scandals

Not sure who this angry link/post is referring to. As the person who wrote the response about over saturation and mismanagement at Eagle the point was just to give some more background/context, especially to the DCPS and charter school situation east of the river. Schools like KIPP and other smaller operators opened up too many schools too fast in too short of a time, and there was not enough oversight by a longshot to make any sort of plan. Then you have crazy DCPS boundaries like the one for McKinley Middle which stretches basically from North Capitol all the way to the eastern boarder of DC because so many DCPS buildings were closed or converted to charters. https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY22-23-Middle-School-Boundary-Map.pdf
Based on reading the boundary review study report and paying attention to conversations it sounds like new school openings are starting to slow down and city leaders are taking a holistic approach to where/how many schools there are, but it will take awhile to right the ship, IMO. Not to mention starting to close charter schools that are super under enrolled or failing by other metrics.

[Anonymous]

I just want my kids to go to a school where disruptive kids and parents who don’t care can be kept or kicked out. That’s about it. If it’s a charter, that’s fine.

[Anonymous]

If the kids are white they are "creative" and "not challenged" or "need a 504 plan." If they are nonwhite they are "disruptive" and "parents don't care."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the kids are white they are "creative" and "not challenged" or "need a 504 plan." If they are nonwhite they are "disruptive" and "parents don't care."

+1
I like to be optimistic and think that most people don't realize the bias they have when labeling/defining disruptive behavior.