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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Ward Five is setting themselves up for failure if their only goal is getting a stand alone middle school.

As a Ward Six parent, I would actually prefer to have two of our three middle schools closed.  I want Eliot Hine filled to capacity - generating economies of scale and concentrating a critical mass of strong students.

[b]Also, Ward Six middle school seats were significantly limited, the spots at Eliot Hine would increase in value and be more coveted (like happened at Stuart Hobson) thus raising their value and attracting a stronger cohort.[/quote][/b]

This is only if Hine is perceived as achieving, safe, and enriching. Having limited spots for a sub-par school is silly.  [/quote]

Elion Hine is already considered to be achieving, safer, and more enriching.  Most of its enrollment is out of bounds, and families from Wards Five, Seven and Eight send their kids there because it is better than the options they have in their neighborhoods.  Yes, in an absolute sense, Eliot Hine it isn't really that good.  But in a relative sense it is one of the top DCPS middle schools.  Since Ward Six has stronger elementary schools than its neighbors to the north and east, and the wave of Ward Six gentrification has yet to hit middle school, Eliot Hine can be even more desirable and feed on itself over time.  That's similar to what happened at Stuart Hobson - with Watkins as a dedicated feeder and a marginally better program than its neighbors, SH developed a positive feedback loop which combined with its limited enrollment to make it a sought after school. And like Eliot Hine, Stuart Hobson isn't really all that good in an absolute sense, but compared to what else it out there it looks pretty darn good to most people who have no options.

If Eliot Hine was a little better than its competition, and its seats were limited, it might become a top school in a few years.  If Stuart Hobson and Jefferson were closed, and Eliot Hine got receiving school funds (or whatever they are called), plus Eliot Hine got a hefty chunk of the significant modernization funds budgeted for Stuart Hobson in '12 and Jefferson in '13, then you could make Eliot Hine look pretty darn attractive to a lot of people.

Plus, could you imagine the [b]mental pretzel it would put Ward Six haters [/b]into if Jefferson and Stuart Hobson were closed because Ward Six advocated for it?  How could the haters argue against increasing Eliot Hine's budget if Ward Six dramatically lowered its combined three school middle school budget.  How could the Ward Six haters complain that Eliot Hine is an in-bounds school?  Certainly takes the teeth out of Ward Five assertions that Ward Six parents drink bubbly wine while DCPS shines their shoes . . .[/quote]

WTH?  Seriously, who/what is a Ward Six hater?  This has to be the stupidest thing I've read on DCUM all week (and that's saying something).[/quote]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-schools-insider/post/wells-to-ward-5-dont-demagogue-by-demographics/2011/09/08/gIQAgbO1CK_blog.html
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