5th grade -Capitol Hill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If Brent, Maury and Watkins each lose at least half of their kids in 5th grade, one idea is to move to two middle schools, one for 5th and 6th, the other 7th and 8th and have all Hill schools feed into the two schools (yes, I know, there are more than those three schools), but it strikes me that there is a serious feeder problem with those schools in particular, and also SWS.

But it's an idea with no chance of seeing the light of day ever, mainly due to the political clout Cluster supporters enjoy, and have for decades. That's it, that's all.

This is an idea only bandied about by Hill parents who lack familiarity with the political landscape on the subject.

This is the weirdest myth, or maybe just out of date since SWS spun off. Watkins loses all of its inbound kids by 5th just like the rest of the Hill schools. Not sure why you think we’re running the table.

Come on, it's no secret that the politically connected Cluster leadership has fought every middle school solution that would have worked for the entire Hill community tooth and nail for decades. Individual UMC, IB parents like yourselves may not have done this, but Cluster admins, parent leaders and the Cluster dominated CHPSO as an organization certainly have.

Watkins' student body remains mostly OOB, as does its parent leadership. During the 2013-2014 DCPS boundary and feeder review, the well-organized and resourced Cluster PTA and CHPSO pulled strings on the city council and with Rhee and Henderson to keep Brent, Maury and SWS (in the early stages of the process of breaking off from the Cluster) from gaining by-right access to SH or a new pan Ward 6 middle school entity from being created. They also ensured that Tommy Wells was onboard with a 45 million dollar SH renovation, while Eliot-Hine and Jefferson got zip.

The Cluster's small-minded and selfish advocacy worked like a charm. Weirdest myth, hardly. Huge problem for Hill parents of elementary school age children, absolutely.

This is a false narrative. Watkins was 30% IB last year and continued to trend higher this year (exact figures not yet released). This shows continuing progress. Watkins also doesn't have the IB benefit of ECE where schools like Brent, Maury and Ludlow Taylor's IB % gets inflated. Peabody is by far the largest ECE program and has 75% IB. Combined with Watkins, Peabody serves nearly 700 students (ie Maury and SWS combined). Brent is 2/3 OOB, they don't take new students (OOB or IB) in 5th grade when the class shrinks and its ECE is 100% IB

These numbers are a couple of years old now. I think the numbers is now closer to 80% IB.

no -- it's as recent as Watkins at 30%. 2016-17 from DCPS school profile

No the DCPS school profile for Brent shows 65% IB in 2016-17. And it is definitely higher for 2017-18.

I assume PP meant 2/3 IB? Because OBVIOUSLY Brent is not 2/3rds OOB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If Brent, Maury and Watkins each lose at least half of their kids in 5th grade, one idea is to move to two middle schools, one for 5th and 6th, the other 7th and 8th and have all Hill schools feed into the two schools (yes, I know, there are more than those three schools), but it strikes me that there is a serious feeder problem with those schools in particular, and also SWS.

But it's an idea with no chance of seeing the light of day ever, mainly due to the political clout Cluster supporters enjoy, and have for decades. That's it, that's all.

This is an idea only bandied about by Hill parents who lack familiarity with the political landscape on the subject.

This is the weirdest myth, or maybe just out of date since SWS spun off. Watkins loses all of its inbound kids by 5th just like the rest of the Hill schools. Not sure why you think we’re running the table.

Come on, it's no secret that the politically connected Cluster leadership has fought every middle school solution that would have worked for the entire Hill community tooth and nail for decades. Individual UMC, IB parents like yourselves may not have done this, but Cluster admins, parent leaders and the Cluster dominated CHPSO as an organization certainly have.

Watkins' student body remains mostly OOB, as does its parent leadership. During the 2013-2014 DCPS boundary and feeder review, the well-organized and resourced Cluster PTA and CHPSO pulled strings on the city council and with Rhee and Henderson to keep Brent, Maury and SWS (in the early stages of the process of breaking off from the Cluster) from gaining by-right access to SH or a new pan Ward 6 middle school entity from being created. They also ensured that Tommy Wells was onboard with a 45 million dollar SH renovation, while Eliot-Hine and Jefferson got zip.

The Cluster's small-minded and selfish advocacy worked like a charm. Weirdest myth, hardly. Huge problem for Hill parents of elementary school age children, absolutely.

This is a false narrative. Watkins was 30% IB last year and continued to trend higher this year (exact figures not yet released). This shows continuing progress. Watkins also doesn't have the IB benefit of ECE where schools like Brent, Maury and Ludlow Taylor's IB % gets inflated. Peabody is by far the largest ECE program and has 75% IB. Combined with Watkins, Peabody serves nearly 700 students (ie Maury and SWS combined). Brent is 2/3 OOB, they don't take new students (OOB or IB) in 5th grade when the class shrinks and its ECE is 100% IB

These numbers are a couple of years old now. I think the numbers is now closer to 80% IB.

no -- it's as recent as Watkins at 30%. 2016-17 from DCPS school profile

And since the 2016-17 school year, the largest class in recent memory entered the school (the basically 100% K class) and there were over 40 5th graders, most IB. So yes, 66% is no longer correct.

So what's the hypothetical number on Watkins? Is it now 40-45% IB because the published number is also dated or do you just assume it plummeted to 0% because DCUM? At what point does anyone let go of Watkins as "mostly OOB school" when the evidence is clear that it's moving in the opposite direction?

As far as Brent goes, I'm more impressed with the dozen or so students going to Jefferson this fall than the Pollyannas using it for free preschool before decamping to suburbs.

Watkins will be "mostly" IB when it's mostly IB... i.e., 50%+.

[Anonymous]

ok people here is what you do

1. Go from 3 to 2 middle schools (Elliot Hine should close it's tiny)
2. Give both of the middle schools all the extra programming and honors/tracking that current Stuart Hobson
3. Have the dividing line be East or West of say Sixth Street whatever is the midpoint of Ward 6 (enough of the weird attendance zones)

Done

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

I don’t think that person understands how distance works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

I don’t think that person understands how distance works.

Yes, they don't understand distance. I am in bound for Brent and if I let my kids walk it would be a 35 minute walk. Absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

I don’t think that person understands how distance works.

Yes, they don't understand distance. I am in bound for Brent and if I let my kids walk it would be a 35 minute walk. Absurd.

Most kids can walk 35 minutes. Kids who play soccer, or dance, or do any other kind of sport/physical activity could handle that. When factoring in the walk to the station and the wait for the train, it's probably the same door-to-door whether you walk or metro. Some days the weather is gross and it's more pleasant to take transit, and maybe your kid can't handle finding his or her way for a mile and a half walk or would dawdle or misbehave or something, but it is not absurd for a middle schooler to walk that far.

Providence and Syracuse schools only give bus passes to kids who live 1.5 miles or more from their middle schools. Minnesota law is districts must provide transportation (school bus, bus pass) for kids who live more than 2 miles away. Lots of school districts expect middle schoolers to walk the equivalent of the Brent zone to Jefferson. Here in DC we're lucky that metro, circulator, and bike lanes provide other options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If Brent, Maury and Watkins each lose at least half of their kids in 5th grade, one idea is to move to two middle schools, one for 5th and 6th, the other 7th and 8th and have all Hill schools feed into the two schools (yes, I know, there are more than those three schools), but it strikes me that there is a serious feeder problem with those schools in particular, and also SWS.

But it's an idea with no chance of seeing the light of day ever, mainly due to the political clout Cluster supporters enjoy, and have for decades. That's it, that's all.

This is an idea only bandied about by Hill parents who lack familiarity with the political landscape on the subject.

This is the weirdest myth, or maybe just out of date since SWS spun off. Watkins loses all of its inbound kids by 5th just like the rest of the Hill schools. Not sure why you think we’re running the table.

Come on, it's no secret that the politically connected Cluster leadership has fought every middle school solution that would have worked for the entire Hill community tooth and nail for decades. Individual UMC, IB parents like yourselves may not have done this, but Cluster admins, parent leaders and the Cluster dominated CHPSO as an organization certainly have.

Watkins' student body remains mostly OOB, as does its parent leadership. During the 2013-2014 DCPS boundary and feeder review, the well-organized and resourced Cluster PTA and CHPSO pulled strings on the city council and with Rhee and Henderson to keep Brent, Maury and SWS (in the early stages of the process of breaking off from the Cluster) from gaining by-right access to SH or a new pan Ward 6 middle school entity from being created. They also ensured that Tommy Wells was onboard with a 45 million dollar SH renovation, while Eliot-Hine and Jefferson got zip.

The Cluster's small-minded and selfish advocacy worked like a charm. Weirdest myth, hardly. Huge problem for Hill parents of elementary school age children, absolutely.

This is a false narrative. Watkins was 30% IB last year and continued to trend higher this year (exact figures not yet released). This shows continuing progress. Watkins also doesn't have the IB benefit of ECE where schools like Brent, Maury and Ludlow Taylor's IB % gets inflated. Peabody is by far the largest ECE program and has 75% IB. Combined with Watkins, Peabody serves nearly 700 students (ie Maury and SWS combined). Brent is 2/3 OOB, they don't take new students (OOB or IB) in 5th grade when the class shrinks and its ECE is 100% IB

These numbers are a couple of years old now. I think the numbers is now closer to 80% IB.

no -- it's as recent as Watkins at 30%. 2016-17 from DCPS school profile

No the DCPS school profile for Brent shows 65% IB in 2016-17. And it is definitely higher for 2017-18.

I assume PP meant 2/3 IB? Because OBVIOUSLY Brent is not 2/3rds OOB.

PP - correct. it's 2/3 and like many Hill schools trending higher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

I don’t think that person understands how distance works.

Yes, they don't understand distance. I am in bound for Brent and if I let my kids walk it would be a 35 minute walk. Absurd.

Most kids can walk 35 minutes. Kids who play soccer, or dance, or do any other kind of sport/physical activity could handle that. When factoring in the walk to the station and the wait for the train, it's probably the same door-to-door whether you walk or metro. Some days the weather is gross and it's more pleasant to take transit, and maybe your kid can't handle finding his or her way for a mile and a half walk or would dawdle or misbehave or something, but it is not absurd for a middle schooler to walk that far.

Providence and Syracuse schools only give bus passes to kids who live 1.5 miles or more from their middle schools. Minnesota law is districts must provide transportation (school bus, bus pass) for kids who live more than 2 miles away. Lots of school districts expect middle schoolers to walk the equivalent of the Brent zone to Jefferson. Here in DC we're lucky that metro, circulator, and bike lanes provide other options.

Totally over you and your lack of COMMON sense and safety. If you want to compare SE DC to Syracuse and Minnesota Godspeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will DCPS final tackle it’s middle school problem? So many Hill families are leaving their elementary schools for Latin and Basis in 5th grade, the ones that stay are sort of the left behinds, and the kids are now old enough to get that they didn’t win the lottery. All because there isn’t a middle school plan for DC. Is DCPS at all concerned about what this is doing to their middle schools?

1) We do need a middle school plan but I'd happily send my child to Stuart-Hobson. The other middle schools need a lot more TLC than they're getting.

2) Consider that Latin and BASIS are providing high school as well and that may be the real issue.

3) I don't know when they'll tackle it. Do you have a plan for some activism that you would like to share?

It's interesting to see the parents for whom 10% white seems to be a threshold and they feel good about SH but not Jefferson. The schools have pretty equal math scores, with JA outperforming SH with several subgroups, including 6th graders. At SH, only about a third of the NON economically disadvantaged kids are on grade level in math. SH has a median growth percentile below the district average for math too. Clearly both schools have room to improve but it's not clear to me that one is substantially better than the other. Teachers are more likely to leave SH than JA.

I don’t disagree that there’s no racial element to the JA v SH debate, but I do genuinely think part of it is that JA isn’t on the Hill. Parents are Moreno inclined to give SH a chance because it’s convenient and in the part of the neighborhood they walk around. For a Brent kid that lives in the central “old” Hill — say near Seward Square? JA is nowhere near them or near anywhere they’d ever go or near anything they’d ever identify as their neighborhood.

So the neighborhood that is getting Billions of dollars in investment (The Wharf Phase I & II) over the next 5 years isn't a real neighborhood, and isn't a place that people on the hill want to go to?

[Anonymous]

The Wharf area is not easily accessible to the Hill via foot. The SW neighborhoods were are all organized, after the initial razing that occurred for the highway, into cul de sacs. Only a few streets are straight through north and south and crossing South Capitol is death-defying. The new Circulator will be very useful.

I would rather put my 12 year old on a Metro bus than in a bike lane at morning rush hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

I don’t think that person understands how distance works.

Yes, they don't understand distance. I am in bound for Brent and if I let my kids walk it would be a 35 minute walk. Absurd.

Most kids can walk 35 minutes. Kids who play soccer, or dance, or do any other kind of sport/physical activity could handle that. When factoring in the walk to the station and the wait for the train, it's probably the same door-to-door whether you walk or metro. Some days the weather is gross and it's more pleasant to take transit, and maybe your kid can't handle finding his or her way for a mile and a half walk or would dawdle or misbehave or something, but it is not absurd for a middle schooler to walk that far.

Providence and Syracuse schools only give bus passes to kids who live 1.5 miles or more from their middle schools. Minnesota law is districts must provide transportation (school bus, bus pass) for kids who live more than 2 miles away. Lots of school districts expect middle schoolers to walk the equivalent of the Brent zone to Jefferson. Here in DC we're lucky that metro, circulator, and bike lanes provide other options.

Totally over you and your lack of COMMON sense and safety. If you want to compare SE DC to Syracuse and Minnesota Godspeed.

Just ask the mom of the kid who was run over walking to Maury what she thinks about Marylanders running stop signs, racing through the Hill, and ignoring traffic signs. At least once a month I spot a Marylander going the wrong way on a one-way. My kids are thin and athletic, but I will drive them safely to a charter middle school, since it seems DCPS doesn’t care about my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

I don’t think that person understands how distance works.

Yes, they don't understand distance. I am in bound for Brent and if I let my kids walk it would be a 35 minute walk. Absurd.

Most kids can walk 35 minutes. Kids who play soccer, or dance, or do any other kind of sport/physical activity could handle that. When factoring in the walk to the station and the wait for the train, it's probably the same door-to-door whether you walk or metro. Some days the weather is gross and it's more pleasant to take transit, and maybe your kid can't handle finding his or her way for a mile and a half walk or would dawdle or misbehave or something, but it is not absurd for a middle schooler to walk that far.

Providence and Syracuse schools only give bus passes to kids who live 1.5 miles or more from their middle schools. Minnesota law is districts must provide transportation (school bus, bus pass) for kids who live more than 2 miles away. Lots of school districts expect middle schoolers to walk the equivalent of the Brent zone to Jefferson. Here in DC we're lucky that metro, circulator, and bike lanes provide other options.

Totally over you and your lack of COMMON sense and safety. If you want to compare SE DC to Syracuse and Minnesota Godspeed.

Just ask the mom of the kid who was run over walking to Maury what she thinks about Marylanders running stop signs, racing through the Hill, and ignoring traffic signs. At least once a month I spot a Marylander going the wrong way on a one-way. My kids are thin and athletic, but I will drive them safely to a charter middle school, since it seems DCPS doesn’t care about my kids.

go for it. of course, there are plenty of people injured in car accidents too...and there is a circulator going right from Eastern Market to the Wharf starting this fall...

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We are a year away from the possible 5th grade move to middle, but I at this point I can't imagine putting my kid on a city bus every day to get to/from school. I would personally be able to swing the drive, but is it out of the question for DC to provide school busses? I think our kids deserve that. They are exposed to A LOT on mass transit, not to mention the safety issues of not being guaranteed a seat, etc. Especially in situations like Brent where the IB elementary and IB middle schools are so far apart. Not to offer school busses for the DCPS kids is really unacceptable.

How do you think kids got to school EVERY day across DC? When Rhee closed all of the schools were you banging on the table wondering how these kids will get to school each day? But your precious child who lives on Cap Hill deserves a school bus? Look around and see how the rest of DC lives.

Is there a reason to be so nasty? I think EVERYONES precious child should have a school bus if they are not in walking distance from school. I walk my kids to my neighborhood school and have been doing that since my rising 4th grader was 3. When we need to go to a school further away, they will not be on a city bus. I have the flexibility to make this happen since it bothers me (fine if it does not bother you). Not everyone has a choice, which is my point. Everyone should be able to choose not to send their 9 year old to school on dc public transit. No clue why you would think I thought this should be for my child only. Good lord.

Brent and Jefferson are 1.4 miles apart. Honestly, for healthy middle schoolers that IS walking distance. Kids with disabilities, of course, should have transportation built into their IEPs as needed. The other kids can walk, take the circulator directly between the schools, or use the metro for free.

1.4 miles equals a 30 minute walk (for an adult) you think it's cool for a 10 year old to walk 30 minutes to school twice a a day in the middle of a not so safe city? Get a grip.

UM, the farthest a kid should need to walk would actually be 0.7 miles, which is halfway between the two schools. And yes, a 10 year old should be expected to able to do a 15 minute walk twice a day.

What? People zoned for Brent don't live halfway between Brent and JA. Halfway between Brent and JA is mostly zoned for Van Ness... Kids who live at 7th and Independence, however, are zoned for JA. So they're more than 2 miles from JA. I don't think you understand how zoning works.

I don’t think that person understands how distance works.

Yes, they don't understand distance. I am in bound for Brent and if I let my kids walk it would be a 35 minute walk. Absurd.

Most kids can walk 35 minutes. Kids who play soccer, or dance, or do any other kind of sport/physical activity could handle that. When factoring in the walk to the station and the wait for the train, it's probably the same door-to-door whether you walk or metro. Some days the weather is gross and it's more pleasant to take transit, and maybe your kid can't handle finding his or her way for a mile and a half walk or would dawdle or misbehave or something, but it is not absurd for a middle schooler to walk that far.

Providence and Syracuse schools only give bus passes to kids who live 1.5 miles or more from their middle schools. Minnesota law is districts must provide transportation (school bus, bus pass) for kids who live more than 2 miles away. Lots of school districts expect middle schoolers to walk the equivalent of the Brent zone to Jefferson. Here in DC we're lucky that metro, circulator, and bike lanes provide other options.

Totally over you and your lack of COMMON sense and safety. If you want to compare SE DC to Syracuse and Minnesota Godspeed.

I like how you think all of SE DC is the same...yes Capitol Hill and Congress Heights have exactly the same crime rates and traffic patterns and pedestrian accessibility.

Syracuse actually has a higher crime rate than DC.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If Brent, Maury and Watkins each lose at least half of their kids in 5th grade, one idea is to move to two middle schools, one for 5th and 6th, the other 7th and 8th and have all Hill schools feed into the two schools (yes, I know, there are more than those three schools), but it strikes me that there is a serious feeder problem with those schools in particular, and also SWS.

But it's an idea with no chance of seeing the light of day ever, mainly due to the political clout Cluster supporters enjoy, and have for decades. That's it, that's all.

This is an idea only bandied about by Hill parents who lack familiarity with the political landscape on the subject.

This is the weirdest myth, or maybe just out of date since SWS spun off. Watkins loses all of its inbound kids by 5th just like the rest of the Hill schools. Not sure why you think we’re running the table.

Come on, it's no secret that the politically connected Cluster leadership has fought every middle school solution that would have worked for the entire Hill community tooth and nail for decades. Individual UMC, IB parents like yourselves may not have done this, but Cluster admins, parent leaders and the Cluster dominated CHPSO as an organization certainly have.

Watkins' student body remains mostly OOB, as does its parent leadership. During the 2013-2014 DCPS boundary and feeder review, the well-organized and resourced Cluster PTA and CHPSO pulled strings on the city council and with Rhee and Henderson to keep Brent, Maury and SWS (in the early stages of the process of breaking off from the Cluster) from gaining by-right access to SH or a new pan Ward 6 middle school entity from being created. They also ensured that Tommy Wells was onboard with a 45 million dollar SH renovation, while Eliot-Hine and Jefferson got zip.

The Cluster's small-minded and selfish advocacy worked like a charm. Weirdest myth, hardly. Huge problem for Hill parents of elementary school age children, absolutely.

This is a false narrative. Watkins was 30% IB last year and continued to trend higher this year (exact figures not yet released). This shows continuing progress. Watkins also doesn't have the IB benefit of ECE where schools like Brent, Maury and Ludlow Taylor's IB % gets inflated. Peabody is by far the largest ECE program and has 75% IB. Combined with Watkins, Peabody serves nearly 700 students (ie Maury and SWS combined). Brent is 2/3 OOB, they don't take new students (OOB or IB) in 5th grade when the class shrinks and its ECE is 100% IB

Huh? Math clearly isn't your strong suit. Brent was 82% in-boundary this past school year - check the DCPS school profile page after it's been updated in the fall for confirmation. PP is correct in nothing that 30% in-boundary means mostly OOB!