Reply to Best Cap Hill elementary to middle?

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Best Cap Hill elementary to middle?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Here's how I'd sort Cap Hill by-right schools, your mileage may vary:

*** Elementary Schools ***

YES
(1) Brent
(2) Maury
(3) Peabody (preK-3 to K)

MAYBE
(4) Ludlow-Taylor
(5) Watkins (1st to 5th)

NO
(6) JO Wilson
(7) Payne
(8) Miner

*** Middle Schools ***

YES
(1) Stuart Hobson

MAYBE
(2) Jefferson

NO
(3) Eliot-Hine

*** High School **

NO
(1) Eastern[/quote]

This seems to be entirely race and/or SES based.[/quote]

There are two reasons why that might be:
1) People unfairly judge schools based on the background of the children attending.
2) People fairly judge schools based on what's actually happening: are the kids learning, are they safe and happy, is there an overall positive vibe to the school? Richer parents have more choice, by choosing where to live (within or outside of the Hill/DC), choosing to go private, or by going to charter (because they are on average more knowledgeable and flexible about transport, though poorer parents go charter as well). Therefore, when a school is doing well, richer parents will use their choice and drive up the share of white/high SES kids in that school.

If you think #1 applies, then the reason schools increase their high SES share is just because a few rich parents send their kids to a school, then others figure it's OK, and things cascade.

If you think #2 applies. then the reason schools increase their high SES share is just because a few rich parents send their kids to a school, they like it and stay and other parents hear good things and come and stay too.

Both obviously matter, but after nearly a decade in various Hill schools, I think #2 is the more important story.

[/quote]

I'm not following PP and I've been on the Hill for a long time.  From where I sit, the main problem is, the achievement gap between affluent families (vs. truly rich) and poor ones in this particular city is a chasm, yet DCPS offers no formal GT services.  One result is that unless a PTA is raising the dough for extra staff in classrooms (teachers aides, floating senior teachers) most parents will have bailed from a school by the upper grades.

I don't want most of my kids longtime pals leaving in the upper grades, or my advanced learner to get bored, so I choose Brent.  Our school's student body is overwhelmingly UMC.  Parents are not to blame for Hill parents choosing Brent, Maury, Peabody etc, given the nature of multi-generational poverty in this country and longtime DCPS policy and practices  The fact that poor kids do better in particular schools is wonderful, but doesn't do much for us - the achievement gap remains vast and weak support for advanced learners remains a huge problem in DCPs.  Most of us need six-figure PTAs to stick with an ES, and honors classes to stick with a MS. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics