Rhee? A poll of your opinion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use to be a critic of the charter school movement. That is until I had to evaluate my DC curriculum for DCPS curriculum. I mean, I believed the charter schools to be a frenemy of DCPS as I believed them CS to take well needed funds and facilities from DCPS. I believed then and still believe that CS only take the best or those with the most potential and leave DCPS with the problem students. The ES was once a blue ribbon school. Although the school's location is far beyond the coveted Ward 3 schools, it's students could compete academically. The school was a well-known secret because DC residents did not believe that Ward 5 could produce such achievements. Well Michelle Rhee with the blessings of Adrian Fenty has begun to rip this gem apart. Programs have been removed and the school age demographics have increased. My family is fortunate, as we have options. Such options were the acceptance into a well regarded charter. Ironic, yes I know. Our second option was to use a relative's address located in the Laffyette school zone. Finally, our third option was to sacrifice and send our child to private school. I will never subject my child to DC politics again. Just look at what Michelle and Adrian pulled three weeks into the school system with that 40 million dollar budget crap. No, I don't like Michelle Rhee and I like Fenty less. As to the improvements in scores that people have been contributing to Rhee, please. The reforms are contributed to Janey's implementations that manifested themselves during Rhee's term in office. Do you really think the test scores can increase that much in a matter of one to two years. As for building facilities improvements, that responsibility is Lew's. As charter's increase in popularity, I foresee two separate systems. DCPS will have most or all of the children who do not have a parent who can (politics) or will (education unimportant) advocate on behalf of their child. All the other students will attend the charters as the CS perfect their programs and increase in popularity. As much as this saddens me as long time Washingtonian, it is what it is.

The pp is speaking about Langdon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bunker Hill?

The PP is talking about Langdon. They will loose their Blue Ribbon because they stripped the forgein language program out of the school..even though the school now goes to grade 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gee, I'm a board member at a PCS and I fully admit, charters hurt DCPS. (Full disclosure, I'm both a DCPS and a charter school parent.)

Charters can kick kids out (typically after they've received 90% of their per pupil allotment) and their "lotteries" aren't always that. They come with lots and lots of requirements on top of signing up for a chance for a spot.

There are a few (very few) good charters in DC.

Read Jay Mathews love letter to KIPP--what is it called, "Work Hard: Be nice" or something like that? Half of the Kipsters vanish along the way. Yes, some drop out completely, but the ones that aren't old enough end up right back in their local public school.

My child deserves better than the local DCPS. Charters only hurt DCPS when and where it doesn't compete and that's fine with me. Make a better school that can compete with the charters and you'll find that people will stay, but it's not up to me or my child to make DCPS a better place. They are there to serve US not vice versa. In truth there are only 2 or 3 charter schools which attract parents away from West of the Park DCPS schools. Why? Because those are good, competitive schools.

We do a lot of volunteer work at our charter school because we're happy to support such an excellent opportunity but I see no reason to risk my child's educational future on a lousy local school. Wealthy parents have always been able to opt out of the system. Charters allow the rest of us the same privilege - I find it democratizing. Charters force DCPS to actually compete for students. Good. It should - lack of competition is how it was allowed to get so bad for so long.

[Anonymous]

DCPS got bad not through lack of competition but through the flight of the middle/upper class, which started after desegregation.

The charters most frequently mentioned on DCUM attract parents who would otherwise move to the suburbs or go private.

In short, they drain off the most involved and committed parents.

It's the reality. I'm not arguing for against it, it just is how it is. (I have kids in both DCPS and charters.)

Finally, I really don't care where you send your kid to school. I would guess though, that every child deserves a school better than your local DCPS. It's not just your child that is deserving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS got bad not through lack of competition but through the flight of the middle/upper class, which started after desegregation.

The charters most frequently mentioned on DCUM attract parents who would otherwise move to the suburbs or go private.

In short, they drain off the most involved and committed parents.

It's the reality. I'm not arguing for against it, it just is how it is. (I have kids in both DCPS and charters.)

Finally, I really don't care where you send your kid to school. I would guess though, that every child deserves a school better than your local DCPS. It's not just your child that is deserving.

That's not actually true for all charters (that they drain off the most involved and committed parents).