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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What Makes a Winning Middle School?

The Capitol Hill Public School Parent Organization (CHPSPO) grappled with this question before presenting their ideas to DCPS.  Many agreed that Deal Middle School in Northwest DC is a good model for several reasons.  For starters, it’s big.  Under a per-pupil funding system, more students mean more dollars.  With more dollars, a school can provide a greater variety of activity for children at the age it matters most.

“Middle school is the age where kids figure out what excites them,” said Councilmember Wells.  “Are they motivated by languages?  By sports? By art? The more options you can provide in a middle school, the better.  That’s why Deal is the ideal.”  Wells also noted that high test scores are not necessarily what make a school attractive to parents.  “We have schools with higher test scores that families are not clamoring to get into, and we have schools with low test scores that are very popular,” he said.  “For parents, the most important things are, will their child be challenged?  Do they feel like they can work with the administration at the school, and what’s the likelihood their child will be going to school with their friends?”

Parents also want the physical campuses to have the same quality as the classes inside them.  “Our kids deserve a safe, high-performing building, and our teachers and administrators deserve decent place to work,” said Jones [Stuart-Hobson parent and Ward 6 School Board Representative], who voiced concerns about the facilities at Stuart-Hobson. “When parents make choices about where to send their kids, they want rigor, but they also want a building free of asbestos and structural integrity issues.”

From Hill Rag: July 2011
http://hillrag.com/CCN_Website09/images/papers/HR/Jul/0711/pdfs/38-41_RAG_0711.pdf[/quote]

Being big is not the secret to a successful school.  If it were, then Dunbar should be great and Banneker or SWW should not.  Also, just a few years ago, Deal was not desirable (it was the least worst of the DCPS options) but it was about the same size.  Size is not the quality variable in any of these instances.

I understand why DCPS is selling this line, and it certainly makes sense to close and consolidate some DCPS schools.  That doesn't mean you should buy it hook, line, and sinker.[/quote]

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