DME Kicks Off DCPS Boundary Review; Changes Expected for 2015-16 School Year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:47 is dead on. School boundaries are not simply a race divide. In my experience as an E of the Park parent with kids both at a WoftheP DCPS and also a charter---middle and upper middle class AA parents are very resistant to sending their kids to poorly performing DCPS schools because of the fear of negative peer influences.

Yes, for our AA HIH the fear is negative peer influences.

[Anonymous]

because white kids are great peer influences. Anybody see fast times at ridgemont high? Ferris Bueller?........

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:because white kids are great peer influences. Anybody see fast times at ridgemont high? Ferris Bueller?........

Ferris Bueller will be okay as he has MONEY! I wouldn't send my kids to a school that is majority lower income white either.

[Anonymous]

White kids have their own peer influence problems. I, for one, would worry about the type of peer influences that can be found in privates where you have highly privileged teens (mostly white) with a lot of money and not a lot of parental supervision because the dual income BigLaw partner parents are too busy working to notice that Trip and his buddies are getting high in the rec room of the 6,000 sf Spring Valley mansion.

But it is willful blindness to ignore the fact that AA kids from HIH/highly educated households aren't subject to a different set of temptations/pressures in the typical DCPS school as opposed to white kid in DCPS. White kids may be bullied because of their race, the AA kids are bullied for being "bougie" (sp?).

[Anonymous]

DCPS can redistrict all they want, but you cannot make parents send their kids to poor performing schools. That will be a quick ticket to charter schools.
If Wilson is viewed as the only public, non-application, desirable high school, they could split its boundary and send half to start a new school WOTP Send half the staff and faculty too. Maybe it should be where Ellington is and move Ellington to the mall or closer to the arts in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if Hardy isn't good enough by the time our children reach relevant age, we'll go private.

I feel like the experience of too many people has been of broadly middle class suburban schools that have high levels of success. However, I just don't think that is necessary. Hardy has proficient-testing kids, advanced-testing kids and everyone with parents who aren't clueless does fine. People have the idea that they need to segregate their kids away from any child who is not high-performing or else they will turn out dumb.

It just isn't true. Rich kids at mixed income schools don't get dragged down.

+1. Folks need to understand the key determinants of academic success. It's very basic. Two parents living in the house, with jobs, with college-degrees (more impact if the mother is highly educated).

Exactly. It's quite simple, and has been known for decades. But then, why haven't Anacostia residents, for example, done that already, leading to superb schools and superb academic performance? It's not like they are recent/ illegal immigrants to the country.

Hmm. Perhaps there's something else at play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:47 is dead on. School boundaries are not simply a race divide. In my experience as an E of the Park parent with kids both at a WoftheP DCPS and also a charter---middle and upper middle class AA parents are very resistant to sending their kids to poorly performing DCPS schools because of the fear of negative peer influences.

Yes, for our AA HIH the fear is negative peer influences.

Not just poor performing DCPS schools - ANY DCPS. I've seen most of our upper class AA friends peel off at middle (Deal) and expect it to happen again at HS (Wilson). And yes the fear is negative peer influences and/or their child being painted as underachieving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS can redistrict all they want, but you cannot make parents send their kids to poor performing schools. That will be a quick ticket to charter schools.
If Wilson is viewed as the only public, non-application, desirable high school, they could split its boundary and send half to start a new school WOTP Send half the staff and faculty too. Maybe it should be where Ellington is and move Ellington to the mall or closer to the arts in the city.

I think doing anything with Ellington is off the table. Their building will be undergoing a complete renovation very soon. No way in the world they would give up a new building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS can redistrict all they want, but you cannot make parents send their kids to poor performing schools. That will be a quick ticket to charter schools.

The ones people want their kids to go to are full already. They are practically out of buildings to put new charters into. People don't want to move out. They will send their kids to poorly performing schools once they get a critical mass of their peers jumping in at the same time.

I think the difference here is generational. Those who are newer to the game are willing to jump in and grind. A lot of those who've been around for a while are skittish outside of their narrowly defined safe spaces.

I know DC used to be rough but things are better! You're more likely to get stumbled into by a drunk 20-something than mugged late on 14th NW. You can get croissants in Columbia Heights and learn Latin in Petworth! They even painted B R O O K L A N D really big in Brookland so you know where you are in case you're lost!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think doing anything with Ellington is off the table. Their building will be undergoing a complete renovation very soon. No way in the world they would give up a new building.

Plus wouldn't doing that sound exactly like The Plan? You know, THE PLAN?

Like, as soon as we start to get nice things, The Man comes around and takes it away and gives it to someone more deserving, a.k.a. longtime Georgetown residents and their 1.5 child families, right?

sounds like it'll go over GREAT in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If Wilson is viewed as the only public, non-application, desirable high school, they could split its boundary and send half to start a new school WOTP Send half the staff and faculty too. Maybe it should be where Ellington is and move Ellington to the mall or closer to the arts in the city.

I think doing anything with Ellington is off the table. Their building will be undergoing a complete renovation very soon. No way in the world they would give up a new building.

Why can't that new building be located where the 98% of the students actually live? I guess maybe DCPS doesn't own a large enough parcel further east.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:47 is dead on. School boundaries are not simply a race divide. In my experience as an E of the Park parent with kids both at a WoftheP DCPS and also a charter---middle and upper middle class AA parents are very resistant to sending their kids to poorly performing DCPS schools because of the fear of negative peer influences.

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't that new building be located where the 98% of the students actually live? I guess maybe DCPS doesn't own a large enough parcel further east.

If you think it could be proposed without making it sound like, "get off my lawn," let us know.

[Anonymous]

There's not enough white kids in the city to make a dent in any school population. The word "fear" is so over-used in this scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow! I must have stuck a chord with you. The very idea that you have to send your child to a school with black and brown people got you in a tizzy, didn't it. I think you're in a fantasy if you think that people in large numbers can up and move. Many can, many can't. The many that can't will be going EofP and guess what- making a school better. Horrible thought, I know.

Um really?!?

OK so if you have been here long enough or know the people who have you would know that the majority of these Shepard Park, 16st Heights and Crestwood folks going to Deal are black. You would also know that in previous generations these black folks would not go to the local public schools with poorer performing black kids, they would go private. I am black and in that area and I am not afraid of black or brown folks. I and my friends are afraid of our kids not being challenged or well educated.

I'm with you PP. I live in 16th Street Heights, and am white, (West, Deal, Roosevelt) and all of my parent friends (different backgrounds/races/incomes) in the neighborhood take offense at that as well. I don't want to move. I like my park, I like my backyard, I like my neighbors, and I'll probably find a way to stay at West, once my kid is old enough to attend.