Reply to Funding for Coolidge

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I find it really interesting how often over the last decade I've read and heard that Dcps makes decisions to spend hundreds of millions on half empty schools because of the squeaky wheel alumni. I loved my high school but I don't expect it to remain the same or even continue to exist. I get having fond memories and all that, but perhaps back off and allow the city to change in ways that make the most sense, not demand that we stay stuck in the past based on some weird obsession with nostalgia. [b]Why do our elects officials allow people who haven't been students in decades to dictate our school planning?[/b][/quote]

Because they vote. Because they turn out in large numbers at stuff like candidates' forums, the Ward 4 Democrats meetings, and fundraisers.  [b]Because the first question that gets asked when anyone stands up to give their opinion at a community meeting is "how long have you lived here?" and if the answer is less than half your life people will scoff at you out loud.[/b] Because "native Washingtonian" is the most important thing you can be here if you want your ideas to matter--and being a white 10-year-old born at GW or Washington Hospital Center or Sibley is not going to cut it.  That may change over time, for better or worse, but it sure hasn't changed yet.[/quote]

And yet, demographics will shape that corner of the district too.  What percentage of those "Native Washingtonians" are actually parents of young children?  They won't be families using the schools.  Coolidge's population will continue to decline because old families are too old have children to send there.  Young families feel no attraction to this proposed model.

Other than the developers who pay into Bowser's campaign, low-bid to get the deal, and then inflate the final price tag nobody benefits.[/quote]

We live IB for Coolidge and this is true. I have now lived in DC for 30 of my 50 years, my kids were born here, but we have been asked that.

The 'native' Washingtonians who go to the community meetings are mostly grandparents and in that way they are still connected to DCPS.

I think that some of these folks would consider it a serious affront to renovate and keep open every other comprehensive high school in the city and not Coolidge.

To be honest the only issue which our  neighborhood is even more divided over is the proposed dog park at the Takoma rec center, next door to Coolidge. It's ugly.

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