Reply to Feedback on Eaton Elementary School in Cleveland Park, NW

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Feedback on Eaton Elementary School in Cleveland Park, NW"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]
I really can't help but laugh at the irony of the indignation expressed by OOB parents when confronted with the reality that most WOTP parents desire their kid to attend a true neighborhood school.  Because in reality it is the OOB parents who don't think their neighborhood kids are good enough, otherwise why would you not attend your IB school.  See how that works?  On one hand you are saying "we are just like you, so what difference does it make where we live." But your actions are telling how you really feel.  Think we need more honesty here.     [/quote]

I don't understand the point that you are trying to make. It is true that, for whatever reasons, OOB families have decided that their neighborhood schools are not a good fit. I don't think anyone disputes that. There are also plenty of families WOTP who have similarly decided that their neighborhood schools are not the best choice. Lots of factors go into decisions about schools. [b]But, what OOB families get upset about is not the school choices that others make, but rather the belief by some that OOB students are by definition negative factors in a school. [/b]It is particularly strange to suggest that OOB students are a significant downside to a school except when your child is the OOB student. There is a disconnect in thinking that because of your desire for your children to attend a neighborhood school, you are going to avoid your neighborhood school and instead choose a school that is not a neighborhood school. 
[/quote]

There are 2 draws to WOTP DCPS schools - (1) academic achievement and (2) community centers. Large numbers of OOB kids may, or may not, affect academic achievement. But they absolutely do affect the school as the center of the community. A neighborhood school with 50% OOB kids isn't a neighborhood school.

[/quote]

That is not necessarily true. If the school's population was cut in half so that only the inbound students remained, would that make it a neighborhood school? It would still be the same number of inbound students. I think the absolute number is more important to community-building then the percentage. I still don't get why the fact that "it is not a neighborhood school" is a reason for going to a school that makes no pretensions at being a neighborhood school. 
[/quote]

The point is that many/most people like neighborhood schools for the feeling of community they provide, and people, like OP, may be looking for that in a school. Eaton is set up to be a neighborhood school though it is not precisely because it has such a high OOB population. That is a detractor to many people.

And yes, when 50% of the school peels off across the city at 3 pm is does affect the ability of the school to be the center of the community. 50% of the parents have no stake in the area, aren't milling around the school park after pick up and drop off, don't care about neighborhood issues etc. They also are far less likely to be able to attend all the stuff after hours that help make a neighborhood school what it is.

It's fine if you don't consider the neighborhood-ness of a school to be a perk, but many people do.

[/quote]

IMO this is one of the factors that makes Janney such a great school, which is the strong connection of the school to the neighborhood and vice versa.[/quote]

But the thing is, the picture that you all paint of schools like Hearst and Eaton are simply not true.  I welcome anyone to go to Hearst's playground at 3:15.  I promise you that people aren't peeling off across the city.  The playground is full of kids and parents-- some who live nearby, and some who don't.  OOB parents are just as likely to mill around the school as IB parents.  They are just as likely to attend after hours stuff as IB parents.  The PTA executive committee is currently made up of 3 IB parents and 4 OOB parents.  But the point that none of you seems to get is that NO ONE CARES if people are IB or OOB.  It makes no impact on people's commitment to the school, their likelihood of being social, their willingness to volunteer for activities, etc.   [/quote]

Milling around after school does not make it a community.  That's just folks waiting for rush hour to die down before they trek across the city.   I find it hard to believe that there are many IB parents at the playground on a regular basis at 3:15.  Sports teams, scouts, church, seeing friends at the neighborhood restaurants, etc. is what most people think of as a community. [/quote]

You are clearly demonstrating that you know nothing about Hearst.  Seriously.  You have never been to Hearst at 3:15.

My kids all play on Hearst sports teams.  We don't go to church so that is irrelevant.  I see schoolmates at restaurants all the time.

Please just stop talking about things you know nothing about.[/quote]

If this is a thread on feedback about John Eaton, how did it devolve into some silly spat about Hearst?[/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