Middle Schools - Ward 6 Centric

[Anonymous]

I am all for togetherness and positive movement forward. That is exactly why I suggest we need a strong principal and team to move it forward. Without a strong leader, we will constantly be in the mode of looking for one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a Ward Six parent, I feel like the only way I am going to buy into a DCPS middle school is if I have a strong connection to it, and if lots of other parents (whom I have gotten to know) from other Ward Six schools are also connected to it. But to be sure, Ward Six parents cannot do it alone, there's not enough of us, and we need parents from other Wards to also put their shoulder into it.

And why exactly would parents from other wards do that? There is no guarantee of quality, there is no guarantee their children would even be accepted via OOB lottery. Why would any OOB parent in their right mind leave a school like Cap City or Haynes or any other promising charter to support the swamp of DCPS? Encouraging people to experiment on untried and untested schools only works when the people have no options. Or, if they're not your children. Then, maybe you're a little too out of touch to understand why they give more of a shit than you do.

Success at Eliot Hine requires parents beyond Ward Six for several reasons.

During the ward redistricting back-and-forth it became apparent Wards Eight, Seven and Five wanted it to be known that Ward Six does not own Eliot Hine or Eastern. They are right – no Ward owns any school – a school’s Ward affiliation does not grant that Ward exclusive domain over any given school. Thus, Ward Six AND every ward represented at EH must engage for the school to move the then next level.

As an earlier poster pointed out, Eliot Hine’s enrollment in ’10-’11 included 190 out of bounds kids out of 284 enrolled – the school is 67% out of bounds. In order for EH to go to the next level it must have the support of OOB families.

As it stands right now, both Eliot Hine and Stuart Hobson are mostly out of bounds schools. Parents in Wards Seven and Eight especially are voting with their feet and choosing these schools, and I wholeheartedly support their right to make that decision. The contributions of OOB families at our elementary are amazing, and the more people contributing, the better. If EH will ascend to the next phase, it must marshal the talents of everyone who has something to offer.

Additionally, Eastern HS includes significant portions of Ward Seven in its feeder pattern. Thus Ward Six is also bound to Ward Seven by the additional tie of feeding into the same high school. A rising tide lifts all boats.

I am not encouraging people to leave charters or any other situation where they feel comfortable. I am saying that if a middle school experience is going to be successful – be it DCPS, charter, private or home school, in my humble opinion it must have families who feel a strong connection to it.

I have several children in a DCPS elementary school and we see few options – like many other parents citywide, I am freaked out by our family’s middle school prospects. I have been active with our elementary school for six years and with middle school efforts for three years. And while I live in Ward Six, most of the parents focused on the middle school issue (and also freaking out) at our school are not from Ward Six. We have formed friendships over the years, and the stress of sorting out middle schools has strengthened the bond. We are all in this together.

Yes, I get it that EH needs families like mine (and all the many others at our desirable charter in Ward 5). I just don't get why we need EH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a Ward Six parent, I feel like the only way I am going to buy into a DCPS middle school is if I have a strong connection to it, and if lots of other parents (whom I have gotten to know) from other Ward Six schools are also connected to it. But to be sure, Ward Six parents cannot do it alone, there's not enough of us, and we need parents from other Wards to also put their shoulder into it.

And why exactly would parents from other wards do that? There is no guarantee of quality, there is no guarantee their children would even be accepted via OOB lottery. Why would any OOB parent in their right mind leave a school like Cap City or Haynes or any other promising charter to support the swamp of DCPS? Encouraging people to experiment on untried and untested schools only works when the people have no options. Or, if they're not your children. Then, maybe you're a little too out of touch to understand why they give more of a shit than you do.

Success at Eliot Hine requires parents beyond Ward Six for several reasons.

During the ward redistricting back-and-forth it became apparent Wards Eight, Seven and Five wanted it to be known that Ward Six does not own Eliot Hine or Eastern. They are right – no Ward owns any school – a school’s Ward affiliation does not grant that Ward exclusive domain over any given school. Thus, Ward Six AND every ward represented at EH must engage for the school to move the then next level.

As an earlier poster pointed out, Eliot Hine’s enrollment in ’10-’11 included 190 out of bounds kids out of 284 enrolled – the school is 67% out of bounds. In order for EH to go to the next level it must have the support of OOB families.

As it stands right now, both Eliot Hine and Stuart Hobson are mostly out of bounds schools. Parents in Wards Seven and Eight especially are voting with their feet and choosing these schools, and I wholeheartedly support their right to make that decision. The contributions of OOB families at our elementary are amazing, and the more people contributing, the better. If EH will ascend to the next phase, it must marshal the talents of everyone who has something to offer.

Additionally, Eastern HS includes significant portions of Ward Seven in its feeder pattern. Thus Ward Six is also bound to Ward Seven by the additional tie of feeding into the same high school. A rising tide lifts all boats.

I am not encouraging people to leave charters or any other situation where they feel comfortable. I am saying that if a middle school experience is going to be successful – be it DCPS, charter, private or home school, in my humble opinion it must have families who feel a strong connection to it.

I have several children in a DCPS elementary school and we see few options – like many other parents citywide, I am freaked out by our family’s middle school prospects. I have been active with our elementary school for six years and with middle school efforts for three years. And while I live in Ward Six, most of the parents focused on the middle school issue (and also freaking out) at our school are not from Ward Six. We have formed friendships over the years, and the stress of sorting out middle schools has strengthened the bond. We are all in this together.

Yes, I get it that EH needs families like mine (and all the many others at our desirable charter in Ward 5). I just don't get why we need EH.

Maybe you don’t need EH. But how would you feel if I said EH only needs Ward Six families and everyone should stay away? It’s offensive, and it won’t work.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone describe the advanced offerings at Stuart Hobson?

What advanced math classes are offered at SH? In what grades are they offered?

What languages are offered at SH? In what grades?

What else at SH is there for advanced students – after school programming, clubs, summer programs, etc?

[Anonymous]

As that old Howard University tee-shirt saying goes and this should relate to those who feel that EH is not needed. Our response to that is;

IT'S A BLACK THING, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND

Okay, I know you are probably furious and want a civil protest started.

[Anonymous]

I'm black and I don't have the faintest idea of what you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm black and I don't have the faintest idea of what you're talking about.

I'm white and I am lost as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I get it that EH needs families like mine (and all the many others at our desirable charter in Ward 5). I just don't get why we need EH.

Maybe you don’t need EH. But how would you feel if I said EH only needs Ward Six families and everyone should stay away? It’s offensive, and it won’t work.

I'm not trying to be offensive, nor am I trying to provoke you into being offensive. My point is that there are some highly desirable charters in the area which have stepped in and filled the void. For those of us that are happy with those schools, there's little incentive to risk our children or expend our energies on an untried and untested (though undeniably useful) MS in Ward 6. As a citizen, I would like to see great schools in DCPS, and not only in Ward 3. As a parent, I will wish you well from the sidelines, but I've only got so much energy so I'm going to need to put it towards my own child's school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I'm not trying to be offensive, nor am I trying to provoke you into being offensive. My point is that there are some highly desirable charters in the area which have stepped in and filled the void. For those of us that are happy with those schools, there's little incentive to risk our children or expend our energies on an untried and untested (though undeniably useful) MS in Ward 6. As a citizen, I would like to see great schools in DCPS, and not only in Ward 3. As a parent, I will wish you well from the sidelines, but I've only got so much energy so I'm going to need to put it towards my own child's school.

I totally get you. From my perspective we are screwed right now for middle school. We need to get lucky with a charter like Latin or something else, and since I have three kids, I need to run the table and hope they all get in, and hopefully at the same school. We can't get into Deal - and that's the only DCPS option we see right now. We could move to MD/VA, but that would suck. If DCPS would create the right conditions around Eliot Hine we might have a fighting chance, but thus far I just don't see it.

[Anonymous]

PP here is the problem, what are the right kids? Well behaved, high achieving, hopefully middle class or wealthier? Is there really enough kids that meet that criteria? What do you do with the rest?

[Anonymous]

Ergo my problem.

[Anonymous]

The new study by the Illinois Facilities Fund - which will help DCPS downsize and reportedly chart a more Charter-centric move for the city - is going to recommend closing lots of schools.

What are the odds that Stuart Hobson is recommended for closing?

What are the odds that Jefferson is recommended for closing?

And, as a bonus question, what are the odds School Within a School is relocated to Van Ness and that school opens up and allows Capitol Quarter to attend as an in-bounds school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new study by the Illinois Facilities Fund - which will help DCPS downsize and reportedly chart a more Charter-centric move for the city - is going to recommend closing lots of schools.

What are the odds that Stuart Hobson is recommended for closing?

What are the odds that Jefferson is recommended for closing?

And, as a bonus question, what are the odds School Within a School is relocated to Van Ness and that school opens up and allows Capitol Quarter to attend as an in-bounds school?

I haven't heard this suggestion before. Are you saying there's talk of moving Peabody SWS clear up to Van Ness? As in, UDC at Connecticut and Van Ness? My God, there's no way that trip takes less than 40 minutes during morning rush.

[Anonymous]

Van Ness at 5th & M St, SE. Across from the Navy Yard. One mile south of its current location.

Van Ness ES closed five years ago. The building is in good shape with capacity for over 400. Almost a thousand new row homes (family sized) and thousands of new domiciles - some of them in old munitions buildings. The area is teaming with strollers and a diverse Hope Six community.

Ward Six should offer to reduce its inventory by two expensive schools (Jefferson & Stuart Hobson) and we ask for one inexpensive school (based on per pupil funding). We right size our inventory, save modernization & operating funds, and its a winnable political argument.

[Anonymous]

but it's in Ward 3!