Anonymous wrote:Why did the new principal of Coolidge resign so early in the school year?

Was an announcement made, how do we know if this is true?

Anonymous wrote:Can't combine Coolidge and Roosevelt without bloodshed, I hear

This is how it was in my day. Sad to hear it's still an issue.

Can't combine Coolidge and Roosevelt without bloodshed, I hear

Anonymous wrote:Really, Coolidge is no different than Eastern who was in the same predictament just 4 years ago. Now albeit Eastern has a new facility but even when they didn't have a new facility they were the 3rd largest comprehensive high-school.

Eastern did not have enough students from the feeder schools to keep it viable but they did have enough students within the school boundaries. Be honest if Eastern would have depended on Stuart Hobson, Eliot-Hine, Jefferson to fill seats it to would have been moth balled. But what did they do... the school system relaunched Eastern with 300 9th graders that were recruited from all over the city. Each year the incoming freshmen class average about 300 and here it is 4 years later and Eastern is the second largest comprehensive high-school with about 1200. So again...what you put in, is what you get out.

Deep analysis.

Per you, Eastern recruited all over the city, but where do the students actually come from?

Here's what we know:

Eastern is 99% FARMS
99% Majority Minority
23% Special Education
only 40% Proficient or Advanced in Math
only 43% Proficient or Advanced in Reading

You want to read the deep truth about DCPS failing - again and again - to turn around an HS?

Working in an urban public school means confronting hundreds of difficult backstories, and Mitchell seems to know them all. He stops one student in the hall to ask about his recent attendance issues. The student’s absences are due partly to poor health and partly to his daily trek from Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. But when Mitchell asks why he’s truant—a word Mitchell patiently defines—the student says he simply doesn’t own enough clothes to compile a daily outfit, and would prefer it if the school adopted uniforms.

Mitchell says his goal isn’t to be the best school in the city.

And this is why he will fail to attract higher SES families - because higher SES families want schools that aim to be "the best school in the city" (acknowledging that best for different students means different things). The bottom line is that if Eastern aimed high and failed, and Roosevelt is aiming low, what would Coolidge aim for? Hitting the floor without blowing a hole in its own foot?

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/45392/rough-ride-roosevelt-high-school/

Really, Coolidge is no different than Eastern who was in the same predictament just 4 years ago. Now albeit Eastern has a new facility but even when they didn't have a new facility they were the 3rd largest comprehensive high-school.

Eastern did not have enough students from the feeder schools to keep it viable but they did have enough students within the school boundaries. Be honest if Eastern would have depended on Stuart Hobson, Eliot-Hine, Jefferson to fill seats it to would have been moth balled. But what did they do... the school system relaunched Eastern with 300 9th graders that were recruited from all over the city. Each year the incoming freshmen class average about 300 and here it is 4 years later and Eastern is the second largest comprehensive high-school with about 1200. So again...what you put in, is what you get out.

we need to get out of the Ward based High schools (and potentially middle schools) The only way a Roosevelt and Coolidge (and maybe Cardozo etc) will work is if there is a selective school within a school--so these can t be looked at as SINGLE schools instead as a system of schools--with charters as a dual track--we need to find ways of moving high SES into DCPS--and not all concentrated at one school--if Coolidge and Roosevelt both exist one needs to be a STEM school and one a Latin school or something--and from there neighborhood kids can be default in the school but 50% is saved as selective--the math just does not work in Ward 4 with 75% of students going to schools OUTSIDE of their neighborhood schools and the abundance of charters in Ward 4. I think the same should be said of middle schools as feeders (which are not always geographic feeders) Schools need to figure out what will get kids from Ward 1-8 to apply and attend....not be bound by your zip code as your destiny and then have a whole bunch of middle and high SES families opt out to charters or otherwise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:I have no idea, but given the situation at Coolidge which is pretty difficult, a better question might be why anyone would want the job in the first place. The school is facing a tremendous number of hurdles, which is sad.

Coolidge alum here, and I couldn't agree more. I still live in the neighborhood and couldn’t imagine sending my kids there. Times have definitely changed since the early 90s.

The principal who was hired was from out of state; I think he was promised something very different from afar, the reality is very different. For the most part, the teachers at Coolidge were actually extremely hard working and highly effective but most of them have gradually left as the population had dwindled and the school comprises of mainly special education students, ESL, out of boundary students and a minority of students who do not have behavior issues and just want a good education. Also don't forget there was the Friends of Bedford debacle, the former principal involved in the incident in the parking lot, and now this - morale must be so low for teachers and students that remain.

I do recall the parking lot incident, but what's the Friends of Bedford debacle?

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:I have no idea, but given the situation at Coolidge which is pretty difficult, a better question might be why anyone would want the job in the first place. The school is facing a tremendous number of hurdles, which is sad.

Coolidge alum here, and I couldn't agree more. I still live in the neighborhood and couldn’t imagine sending my kids there. Times have definitely changed since the early 90s.

The principal who was hired was from out of state; I think he was promised something very different from afar, the reality is very different. For the most part, the teachers at Coolidge were actually extremely hard working and highly effective but most of them have gradually left as the population had dwindled and the school comprises of mainly special education students, ESL, out of boundary students and a minority of students who do not have behavior issues and just want a good education. Also don't forget there was the Friends of Bedford debacle, the former principal involved in the incident in the parking lot, and now this - morale must be so low for teachers and students that remain.

Anonymous wrote:I live in the neighborhood too (but not an Alum). What are the challenges? Is there any hope of fixing them? It is such a good location and the building seems fairly functional - and the demographics of our area mean there are many kids in the pipeline for high school attendance (my DS included). Any chance Coolidge could be the next Wilson?

The problems faced by Coolidge are similar to those faced by Roosevelt, only worse. Coolidge is still waiting for renovation, it has no strong middle school feeder (only education campuses") and Shepherd Park, which has been technically inbounds, just got re-zoned to Wilson. Schools like this get into a vicious circle. The school is not desirable from either a physical or academic perspective so potential students avoid it. The per-pupil funding mechanism means there isn't money to offer strong programming (or at least not a wide variety of strong programming). The lack of strong programming makes the school even less desirable and more students avoid it. Even fewer students means even less funding, etc.

Coolidge also faces competition from some fairly close charter high schools. At the rate things are going, Cap City's upper school might actually have more students before long.

I really think the best approach for Coolidge is to mothball the building for a while and concentrate Ward 4 students at Roosevelt. Same with middle school kids at MacFarland. If/when those programs are built, then create northern counterparts. But, the way things stand, Roosevelt is a step ahead of Coolidge and the two schools will be competing for resources, putting Coolidge at a bit of a disadvantage.

In its favor, Coolidge has some dedicated supporters who are doing everything within their means for the school. I'm just not sure that will be enough.

Coolidge is a sinking ship. Under enrolled and very poor morale. It will likely close

I live in the neighborhood too (but not an Alum). What are the challenges? Is there any hope of fixing them? It is such a good location and the building seems fairly functional - and the demographics of our area mean there are many kids in the pipeline for high school attendance (my DS included). Any chance Coolidge could be the next Wilson?

jsteele wrote:I have no idea, but given the situation at Coolidge which is pretty difficult, a better question might be why anyone would want the job in the first place. The school is facing a tremendous number of hurdles, which is sad.

Coolidge alum here, and I couldn't agree more. I still live in the neighborhood and couldn’t imagine sending my kids there. Times have definitely changed since the early 90s.

jsteele wrote:I have no idea, but given the situation at Coolidge which is pretty difficult, a better question might be why anyone would want the job in the first place. The school is facing a tremendous number of hurdles, which is sad.

I'd imagine because they want to improve the lives of the children at Coolidge, despite the challenges.

I have no idea, but given the situation at Coolidge which is pretty difficult, a better question might be why anyone would want the job in the first place. The school is facing a tremendous number of hurdles, which is sad.

Why did the new principal of Coolidge resign so early in the school year?