Reply to A Note from a Public School Mom of Three & a Candidate's Wife

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]What is his policy on whether to grant a neighborhood preference to charter schools? Thanks.[/quote]

He has previously said that he supports neighborhood preference. However, so do all of his opponents in the primary. So, while I disagree with his position, it's a wash this time around.
[/quote]

Jeff,
I am a single issue voter now - NO neighborhood preference for charter schools. 20-25%?  Can you imagine what that will do to Latin, BASIS, and Yu Ying?  Actually BASIS is the only one who ultimately will be able to cope by flunking anyone out who does not pass comps/classes, but if they took a 5th grade spot instead of a kid who could have been in LEAP math, in Algebra I, that would enrage me anyway.  Who has the smallest quota and who might change their mind?  It flies in the face of the purpose of charter schools and many have buses anyway so this 'I cannot get my kid...." my kid takes two metrobuses as will my 5th grader next year...

Could you please tell me of the at large candidates, and candidates for Chair of DC council and anyone else we are all allowed to choose from (I am ward 3) who 
a) is actually against this stupid policy which will destroy the charter schools (25% of Washington Latin which is so small are you kidding me?) or 25% of Yu Ying where none of them care about or speak Chinese......
b) has the smallest quota proposal and 
c) who if anyone might change their mind?

d) besides Mary Cheh, is there anyone else who is willing to yank DC promise if DC TAG gets pulled?
e) Is there anyone else who wants to have G&T programs in MS like Hardy

If, despite DC promise, I want Catania to win, should I vote for Gray in the primary not Bowser?

TIA

Sorry Mrs. Settles,
and I am sorry about your MIL but
I don't believe in street cred for public school kids unless you have kids at an exclusive private school instead and more importantly

if your husband really cared about charter schools he would not be talking neighborhood preference at all, and absolutely would not go up to 25% 
given that Yu Ying does not admit after a very early grade, 
language immersion schools need more native speakers, 
Latin is tiny and 9th grade spaces are slim and
 Basis, the only one with no social promotion, does not admit after high attrition due to comps in 6th grade and already has a pyramid model and that precalculus is a prerequisite for graduation....[/quote]

There is a lot being asked here and I don't have the knowledge to answer it all. There is no significant opposition to Cheh for Ward 3 Council Member or Mendleson for Chair. So, I'm not sure it matters what their position on neighborhood preference is and, in any case, I don't know in either case. Among the Mayoral candidates, Evans, Bowser, and Wells all support preference. Among the Democratic At-Large candidates, all support it.

I see validity in the argument that voting for Gray is the best strategy for electing Catania. However, I don't accept that strategy myself and have not adhered to it. My advice -- not very widely accepted, but nevertheless -- is to vote for the candidate that best represents your priorities and leaving picking a winner to lottery tickets.

I will say this about neighborhood preference for charters. I am surprised at the importance that has been suddenly attached to this issue. I have not seen such interest in the topic until recently. I've been a charter school parent for nearly 10 years and only came to understand the issue within the past year myself. The way neighborhood preference was first presented to me -- as a solution for neighborhoods in which no good DCPS schools existed -- it seems like a positive solution. For quite a while I was ambivalent about the issue. Over the past few months, I posted a number of posts expressing opposition to neighborhood preference that frequently resulted in responses questioning my position. So, I think this is a new topic to many.

All of that is to say that I think many of the candidates who support neighborhood preference may simply need to understand the issue better. It is likely that they have only heard about neighborhood preference from those who support it and have not been exposed to counter arguments. Moreover, in the press of a campaign, candidates are asked to respond to a large number of questionnaires listing a broad range of topics. Answers can sometimes be provided on the spur of the moment and not given as much thought as required. Serious candidates will try to stick to a position once it is taken rather than providing whatever answer best suits them at the moment.

[b]Finally, while opposing neighborhood preferences, I concede that it could be possible to implement such preferences in a very specific manner in which preference can actually be a good thing. However, I don't have much hope in such methods being chosen for DC.[/b][/quote]

Jeff I respect your opinion a lot.  Please tell me (even though it's a little off topic, but hey, this is DCUM!) what would be a way to implement neighborhood preference in "a very specific manner" where it would "actually be a good thing"?  As you know, the bad things are: 1) it does nothing to improve any of the underperforming schools; 2) cuts off access to those residents of low income neighborhoods to speciality schools not in their neighborhoods (language immersion, montessori, etc); and 3) the point already made above about language immersion schools and limiting that much more the chances for native speakers if the school is not in a native speaking community.  What is the good you see possible and how do you see implementing to serve a good that is bigger than these bads?[/quote]

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