Letter from Cancellor re moving schools - opps - I got caught moving my kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The answer is painfully clear ... smaller class sizes and more social workers. Every other initiative is second to this!

This!

In schools where there is room, this is how you fix things. It creates a real choice in the city. Travel across the city for a "good" school or give your child personalized attention. I wonder if there is some legislation reason is won't work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is destined to continue to repeat their pattern of failing schools and segregation. Too many people with opposing agendas. The whole system needs to be restructured. Five years and 3 Chancellors? Something is wrong!

Bowser doesn’t think so due to the comment she made during the news conference.

The turnover was even more rapid before we had mayoral control.

[Anonymous]

The school buildings need to be renovated regaless of their enrollment or program offerings people.

Next...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All else aside, I feel for that kid.

Yep. Innocent victim. Three schools in two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides, I'm not sure dcps teachers understand how hard the parent community took this

The level of anger clearly took the Council by surprise. On Fri/Sat you could tell that Grosso thought this would blow over. He did a complete reversal. I do admire him for responding to what the voters want, but his original posturing shows how much he doesn't get it.

Actually, his original posturing showed how much he DOES get that it's worse for DCPS students and teachers for him to go right now, in the middle of the school year.

But it's true, the explosion in voices of the parents was super loud and that was not going to blow over. It's too bad they couldn't figure out how to keep him and explain he was gone after the SY ended but would finish the good changes he started until then.

He doesn't get why the parents would be so furious. He thinks it's just a bunch of cranky whiners. He didn't understand that the snowball would keep picking up speed daily until June. That idiotic "hmmm" tweet showed his true colors.

Day-to-day there would be nothing that Wilson could accomplish between now and the end of the year as a lame duck.

What was the "hmmm" tweet? (I searched, but can't find)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The answer is painfully clear ... smaller class sizes and more social workers. Every other initiative is second to this!

This!

In schools where there is room, this is how you fix things. It creates a real choice in the city. Travel across the city for a "good" school or give your child personalized attention. I wonder if there is some legislation reason is

I’d make the largest class size allowed in any Title 1 school 18 students — from PK3 through 12th. And there would be 2 teachers in every class in those schools - one with special ed training.

Double the allocation of psychologists and social workers for Title 1 and the next category of need.

And add 3-4 weeks to the school year district-wide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So reallocate the funding, earmarking far more for programming and none for pointless Taj Mahal renovations creating fancy buildings that sit mostly empty (e.g. Dunbar HS) for years after the remodeling is done, and/or mainly attract OOB families (Eastern HS). DCPS is about to embark on a wave of renovating mostly empty MS buildings (Eliot Hine, Jefferson) that will stay that way for a generation because they can't begin to compete with Tier 1 charters.

I found it interesting to watch Ward 6 parents turn the tide in Wilson's ouster. Without Allen on board, it wouldn't have happened. Robert White's voice wasn't heard until another member of the CC Comm on Ed joined him, putting pressure on Grosso to dump Wilson.

Ward 6 parents wouldn't have been pushing to can Wilson if DCPS had worked with them to create a Deal-like pan Ward 6 middle school back in 2014, probably on the spacious Eliot-Hine grounds. It was obvious to many of us on the Hill, at least those who've been in the neighborhood for a long time, that pumping 40 million into Staurt Hobson would set the stage for a political backlash. When I moved to the Hill 15 years ago, Ward 6 parents willing to schlep their kids to Deal and Wilson could use those schools. That ship has long since sailed and high SES Ward 6 parents are fit to be tied.

A city just can't function properly with only one by-right HS most IB parents are OK with.

News flash the majority of DCPS students are poor and black. It really doesn't matter what you think. That's simply the reality. If you actually want to make a difference in DC go to your neighborhood school and mentor/volunteer/donate to the vast majority of schools/areas that are worse off than the hill and Ward 3

I understand that the city doesn't really care about Ward 6 but I have always agreed with this. Instead of a "Deal for all" how about creating one more Deal that will become a magnet for other parts of the city as well. A Ward 6 MS that is 60 to 70% IB is a huge win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides, I'm not sure dcps teachers understand how hard the parent community took this

The level of anger clearly took the Council by surprise. On Fri/Sat you could tell that Grosso thought this would blow over. He did a complete reversal. I do admire him for responding to what the voters want, but his original posturing shows how much he doesn't get it.

Actually, his original posturing showed how much he DOES get that it's worse for DCPS students and teachers for him to go right now, in the middle of the school year.

But it's true, the explosion in voices of the parents was super loud and that was not going to blow over. It's too bad they couldn't figure out how to keep him and explain he was gone after the SY ended but would finish the good changes he started until then.

He doesn't get why the parents would be so furious. He thinks it's just a bunch of cranky whiners. He didn't understand that the snowball would keep picking up speed daily until June. That idiotic "hmmm" tweet showed his true colors.

Day-to-day there would be nothing that Wilson could accomplish between now and the end of the year as a lame duck.

What was the "hmmm" tweet? (I searched, but can't find)

It was Grosso reacting to a reporter's summary of Kathy Patterson's reaction (so it won't show up in his own feed). He suggested she had sacrificed her independence and might not be capable of conducting audits related to education any longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: OOB is the symptom, not the problem. If everyone had a decent IB school people could go wherever they wanted OOB and nobody would care.

True, true. Strong schools build strong neighborhoods build strong schools build strong neighborhoods. Charter schools are no panacea.
So.
What will it take to improve the Dunbars and Roosevelts and Ballous? We need a mayor, chancellor, & DME with the brilliance and integrity to pull that off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: OOB is the symptom, not the problem. If everyone had a decent IB school people could go wherever they wanted OOB and nobody would care.

True, true. Strong schools build strong neighborhoods build strong schools build strong neighborhoods. Charter schools are no panacea.
So.
What will it take to improve the Dunbars and Roosevelts and Ballous? We need a mayor, chancellor, & DME with the brilliance and integrity to pull that off.

Significant economic growth that creates good paying jobs for working-class people and affordable quality child care so people can keep those jobs.

Reductions in crime, and consequently the numbers of children suffering from trauma.

Comprehensive prenatal care for all women, more children born healthy and at full-birth weight.

If we had a city with a healthy population and fewer children experiencing trauma, then we wouldn't need such drastic measures in the schools.

But until we have a city filled with children who are truly ready to learn, we're gonna keep having the same problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides, I'm not sure dcps teachers understand how hard the parent community took this

The level of anger clearly took the Council by surprise. On Fri/Sat you could tell that Grosso thought this would blow over. He did a complete reversal. I do admire him for responding to what the voters want, but his original posturing shows how much he doesn't get it.

Actually, his original posturing showed how much he DOES get that it's worse for DCPS students and teachers for him to go right now, in the middle of the school year.

But it's true, the explosion in voices of the parents was super loud and that was not going to blow over. It's too bad they couldn't figure out how to keep him and explain he was gone after the SY ended but would finish the good changes he started until then.

He doesn't get why the parents would be so furious. He thinks it's just a bunch of cranky whiners. He didn't understand that the snowball would keep picking up speed daily until June. That idiotic "hmmm" tweet showed his true colors.

Day-to-day there would be nothing that Wilson could accomplish between now and the end of the year as a lame duck.

What was the "hmmm" tweet? (I searched, but can't find)

It was Grosso reacting to a reporter's summary of Kathy Patterson's reaction (so it won't show up in his own feed). He suggested she had sacrificed her independence and might not be capable of conducting audits related to education any longer.

Grosso is an embarrassment and is a perfect example of all that is wrong with Modern DC politics. He cares more about national liberal issues than actually governing. He has done almost no real investigative/reform work. He never took a stand on the Chancellor and then had the audacity to put out a press release after the chancellor left.

[Anonymous]

Also, successful identification and remediation for kids who are falling behind, or have special needs, or need additional social supports, in ELEMENTARY school so that we don't keep passing them from grade to grade until they are middle and high school-aged and so far behind that catching them up is an impossible task. What needs to happen to successfully support 3rd and 4th and 5th graders so that they are on grade level when they move to middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: OOB is the symptom, not the problem. If everyone had a decent IB school people could go wherever they wanted OOB and nobody would care.

True, true. Strong schools build strong neighborhoods build strong schools build strong neighborhoods. Charter schools are no panacea.
So.
What will it take to improve the Dunbars and Roosevelts and Ballous? We need a mayor, chancellor, & DME with the brilliance and integrity to pull that off.

Significant economic growth that creates good paying jobs for working-class people and affordable quality child care so people can keep those jobs.

Reductions in crime, and consequently the numbers of children suffering from trauma.

Comprehensive prenatal care for all women, more children born healthy and at full-birth weight.

If we had a city with a healthy population and fewer children experiencing trauma, then we wouldn't need such drastic measures in the schools.

But until we have a city filled with children who are truly ready to learn, we're gonna keep having the same problems.

The solution is charters/gentrification period. I am involved in education policy and noone has been able to deal with an area with over 80% "at risk" student populations. DCPS is nearly 80% at-risk.

If I was in charge I would put KIPP/DC Prep in charge of all low performing schools they are the only groups that have gotten results.

Another alternative is something like the Harlem Children's Zone. https://hcz.org/ Something like that might work in say Ward 8 but it takes a ton of resources, involvement and a long-term commitment 15+ years before seeing results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So reallocate the funding, earmarking far more for programming and none for pointless Taj Mahal renovations creating fancy buildings that sit mostly empty (e.g. Dunbar HS) for years after the remodeling is done, and/or mainly attract OOB families (Eastern HS). DCPS is about to embark on a wave of renovating mostly empty MS buildings (Eliot Hine, Jefferson) that will stay that way for a generation because they can't begin to compete with Tier 1 charters.

I found it interesting to watch Ward 6 parents turn the tide in Wilson's ouster. Without Allen on board, it wouldn't have happened. Robert White's voice wasn't heard until another member of the CC Comm on Ed joined him, putting pressure on Grosso to dump Wilson.

Ward 6 parents wouldn't have been pushing to can Wilson if DCPS had worked with them to create a Deal-like pan Ward 6 middle school back in 2014, probably on the spacious Eliot-Hine grounds. It was obvious to many of us on the Hill, at least those who've been in the neighborhood for a long time, that pumping 40 million into Staurt Hobson would set the stage for a political backlash. When I moved to the Hill 15 years ago, Ward 6 parents willing to schlep their kids to Deal and Wilson could use those schools. That ship has long since sailed and high SES Ward 6 parents are fit to be tied.

A city just can't function properly with only one by-right HS most IB parents are OK with.

News flash the majority of DCPS students are poor and black. It really doesn't matter what you think. That's simply the reality. If you actually want to make a difference in DC go to your neighborhood school and mentor/volunteer/donate to the vast majority of schools/areas that are worse off than the hill and Ward 3

I understand that the city doesn't really care about Ward 6 but I have always agreed with this. Instead of a "Deal for all" how about creating one more Deal that will become a magnet for other parts of the city as well. A Ward 6 MS that is 60 to 70% IB is a huge win.

+1000. Wilson was going to be a target for Ward 6 and the surrounding wards if he screwed up. He did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school buildings need to be renovated regaless of their enrollment or program offerings people.

Next...

+1 Even some top performing schools have dealt with barely functioning HVAC and rodent infestations. No schools should have those issues.