The AA parents of Garrison became organized and it impressed the Chancellor. It showed the Chancellor that grass-root efforts is not solely based on Capitol Hill. Go on, Garrison!!!

Anonymous wrote:So, this is my tax dollars at work? Yippee.

Wait, you do not want your tax dollars to be spent on schools? I am not sure what you are objecting to.

So, this is my tax dollars at work? Yippee.

Yay Garrison!!!

You go Garrison. You can do this. Fight the good fight.

Brent parent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Facilities matter. We live in bounds but kids go to a charter where everything is new and beautiful. Would love a school we could walk to though. They will have to improve dramatically to attract in bound families.

I could have written this! I live less than two blocks away and we are at Inspired Teaching. If the school is truly modernized I think it will be much more appealing to neighborhood families of which there are many. I was extremely impressed by the parent/community effort to keep Garrison open. I think a local elementary school is SO important to any neighborhood. Not to mention if Garrison sat empty I think it would be a huge negative for the neighborhood.

Congrats Ann and the Garrison community!!

+1!

Anonymous wrote:Facilities matter. We live in bounds but kids go to a charter where everything is new and beautiful. Would love a school we could walk to though. They will have to improve dramatically to attract in bound families.

I could have written this! I live less than two blocks away and we are at Inspired Teaching. If the school is truly modernized I think it will be much more appealing to neighborhood families of which there are many. I was extremely impressed by the parent/community effort to keep Garrison open. I think a local elementary school is SO important to any neighborhood. Not to mention if Garrison sat empty I think it would be a huge negative for the neighborhood.

Congrats Ann and the Garrison community!!

Congrats to you, Garrison!

Thanks to whomever started this thread. This is Ann McLeod, Garrison PTA president.

We will continue our fight for a full modernization in 2014. Thanks to those who agree this is absolutely necessary - we realize it is a barrier to enrollment and we told DCPS as much in our proposal to keep the school open. It would be most helpful if those who commented on this thread stating the upgrading of facilities is a must to email DCPS and your council member saying so!!

Otherwise, we have told DCPS that we have to be partners as we move forward. In no way do we think we can do anything all by ourselves - on the contrary, we need the full support of DCPS central office. And, we have told them this - it was the crux of our proposal to keep the school open. We are willing to commit to certain things and DCPS must do the same.

Anyone interested in learning more about Garrison is welcome to an upcoming open house:
• Tuesday, Jan. 29th - 4:30 pm
• Saturday, Feb. 2nd - 9:00 am
• Tuesday, Feb. 5th - 8:30 am

Please do not hesitate to contact us at GarrisonPTA@gmail.com with any questions or for info. Also, please see our website at www.garrisonelementary.org

thanks
ann

Facilities matter. We live in bounds but kids go to a charter where everything is new and beautiful. Would love a school we could walk to though. They will have to improve dramatically to attract in bound families.

We would have stayed there but their facility is far too dreary for a modern school. I know it sounds superficial, but looks matter. If DCPS gives them their modernization I think families will feel a lot different about it. The teachers that we knew (early childhood and K) were excellent...

Talk is cheap. Moreso, Garrison is no longer DCPS problem. They have put it out there that they can do it all by themselves.

In addition to updating the enrollment demographics, I really liked the improvement projects they showed the chancellor and have posted on their website. It's not even my IB school but I drive by it all the time and it would be great if the changes are put into effect because that school is just so rundown looking but you can tell the building and surrounding fields have so much potential to be really nice!

Anonymous wrote:What did Garrison do to get off of the closure list?

Updated demographic data showing more in-bounds school-age kids than previously thought, and a pledge from the school to "capture these families."

I highly recommend the school-by-school rundown on pp. 4 & 5 of the DCPS closure plan, describing thinking behind open/close decisions.

What did Garrison do to get off of the closure list?