School Without Walls Pk-12?

[Anonymous]

DCPS has a real knack for turning citizens against one aother. I don't have a problem with SWW community trying to maintain the integrity and success of its school. I am rooting for the FS community to build up its neighborhood school. But by putting together two things that aren't a good fit, I don't see how this works out in the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SWW is not becoming the HS option for FS MS. Students will still have to test in like they do in every single other ward.

For now.

[Anonymous]

I have heard from more than one parent of small children that they got a spot at FS and will most likely take it because of "its fantastic high school". The communication around this merger has been so bad that people who are paying minimal attention have the clear impression that SWW is now a straight shot from PK to 12th grade, no application needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS has a real knack for turning citizens against one aother. I don't have a problem with SWW community trying to maintain the integrity and success of its school. I am rooting for the FS community to build up its neighborhood school. But by putting together two things that aren't a good fit, I don't see how this works out in the end.

This is exactly the situation. It's not personal. Each community wants what is best for their school. They are not a good fit. If it was such a great, well- though out idea, the reaction would be different, especially from the SWW community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard from more than one parent of small children that they got a spot at FS and will most likely take it because of "its fantastic high school". The communication around this merger has been so bad that people who are paying minimal attention have the clear impression that SWW is now a straight shot from PK to 12th grade, no application needed.

Just look at some of the threads about the lottery. Parents think they are "in" to the HS through the lottery. DCPS has explained NOTHING clearly in this merger. You can't blame parents for misunderstanding about the entrance to the HS when they are told the schools are being merged, and FS is now SWW. In actuality, the schools are not being merged but rather put under one budget. The details of one budget have yet to be explained.

[Anonymous]

I suspect that FS will get an excellent feeder HS now that Trogisch is in charge. And I don't mean automatic entrance to SWW.

[Anonymous]

We applied our sixth grader for the lottery and were told she had been accepted to School Without Walls for 7th grade. Not going, but wanted to see what the deal was

[Anonymous]

Correction - what DCPS was presenting the deal as....

[Anonymous]

If your child is accepted at FS/SWW - or whatever they are calling it- she is in to the school for MS, but this is not an acceptance to the HS. All FS MS students have to apply to the HS. The MS is not a feeder to the HS.

[Anonymous]

If a parent thinks admission into FS elementary means automatic entry in to Walls HS then they did not do their due diligence and research all the details of this still unfolding merger. The correct information is easy to find. All you have to do is Google it. I did. It's even outlined clearly on the DCPS website. (I know, because we are now zoned for the middle school and I looked it up).

I do see where a number of parents will now take a chance on enrolling their kids at Stevens because of the relationship with Walls. The right administration can make a huge difference and if the principal (as he noted) is going to align some of the programs with the high school and allow advanced middle school students to take high school level courses then that's sounds great to me. If Stevens begins to pull in more middle income parents due to the Walls name, then the school will turn a corner and become one of the more sought after schools in the District.

So what if it doesn't feed directly into Walls. If the kids get a great education at Stevens then they should have as good a chance--if not better--than any other DC kid at getting into Walls. Some of these parents are banking on "better" chance which is reasonable to me.

BTW, even though we're zoned for the middle, I'm not necessarily planning to send my 4th grader there. But I am open to it. I'm just going to wait and see how things unfold since I have another year.

[Anonymous]

You are silly. Nothing is "clear" even if you Google. The DCPS website says FS - Merge with SWW to serve PS-12.

There is nothing about students from FS having to test into SWW. People have "heard" that will be the case but according to DCPS it will be a PS-12 campus.

[Anonymous]

It has been clear all along that 8th graders at FS will have to apply to SWW, just like everyone else. Why is this so difficult to understand?

[Anonymous]

Ummm...because dcps is calling it a PK-12 grade school. When is the last time you had to apply to go on to the next grade if you were staying at the same school? It is a confusing concept and dcps has done very little to clarify. Maybe saying where FS students can go to high school by rights would help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has been clear all along that 8th graders at FS will have to apply to SWW, just like everyone else. Why is this so difficult to understand?

Please link to anything from DCPS that says this.

[Anonymous]

This is the most recent feeder pattern and it shows FS feeds to Cardozo HS- not SWW. This page also clearly states that SWW HS will remain application ONLY.

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/schoolchanges

and more from the page:
8th graders attending School Without Walls@ Francis-Stevens are not guaranteed a seat in 9th grade at School Without Walls High School. School Without Walls High School is a citywide, specialized high school. Students interested in attending School Without Walls High School for 9-12 grade must go through the schools’ admission process.