Reply to news from Southwest: Amidon-Bowen and Jefferson

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think they will change. Will they be like Deal? No. But 10 years ago, was Deal like Deal is today? Also no. More and more middle/upper class families are moving to neighborhoods that have low-income people (Shaw, Petworth, SW, etc.) and if even a fraction of them stay and send their kids to school the schools will be different.  Probably better in some but not all ways.  It really only takes a few kids from well-educated families plus teacher getting a few kids from basic to proficient before there's a big change in proficiency rates. There are already families in SW who went private and say if Amidon 5 years ago was like it is now, they'd go. Others won't go unless it's 50% proficient, still others till 75%.  Some will never go.  But a refurbished school with some very good teachers and extracurriculars is still a step in the right direction.[/quote]

I'm doubtful that much will change in terms of demographics without tearing down most of SW, including rebuilding the Freeway below grade.  There isn't a great deal of highly desirable housing stock avaialble for single families.  And while Jefferson is in the midst of the new Wharf zone, the vast majority of development will be commercial/hotel and retail space, unlike the new development along and to the east of S. Capitol.  The SW Federal Zone, including L'Enfant Plaza, and Maine Avenue further restrict opportunities for development in the area.  I'm also doubtful that the efforts of some parents to convince high SES families to take a leap of faith at Jefferson will pay any dividends.  Some of us were intrigued by the reinvention of Jeffrson as an Academy just a few years ago, and to its credit the school does seem to be doing a good job with the population it serves (the overwhelming majority of whom are not from SW), the reality remains that very few families want to be the "first." More so, where does three years at Jefferson lead:  Eastern.  [/quote]

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