Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The housing going up will not be attractive to families with 12 year olds. And the people who go public for elementary will do what most of Ward 6 does - lottery to charters, go private/parochial or move. It may turn but it will take a very long time.

This.

DCPS has officially ceded middle schools to the charter community. There are now more public school students in middle school charters than middle school DCPS.

Interestingly, there are now also more PreK students in charters than DCPS. The vote of NO CONFIDENCE in DCPS is getting louder and clearer.

(So why do we have to waste hundreds of millions on sinkholes like Roosevelt and Coolidge?)

Because DCPS enrollment goes back up (compared to charters) for 9th.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe in 15-20 years.

At least 15 years. Middle schools are so difficult to turn around. Brent is the o my solid feeder and those kids have the highest leave rate after 4th grade. Alison is still a super weak school. Almost all the building there is one bedrooms. So most families will. All after preschool.

Anonymous wrote:It will be faster than people think. There are only so many charter seats available. While families might not move to the new developments, they might purchase some of the existing homes nearby to be close to the new development.

Will it be the next Boston Latin or TJ or other elite school that people point to? No. Could it become the second best MS in the city in the next 5 years? Yes.

No. It couldn't.

When it comes to DCPS, it's at the back of the line behind Deal & Hardy & SH. And that's not including the foundering BM and McF.

The charters are way ahead with Latin, Basis, and DCI.

So, 5 years? Hah! Nope. Maybe 20 (Otoh, SH has been trying to improve for 35 years, so I wouldn't bet on any school that draws so heavily from Ward 9.)

It will be faster than people think. There are only so many charter seats available. While families might not move to the new developments, they might purchase some of the existing homes nearby to be close to the new development.

Will it be the next Boston Latin or TJ or other elite school that people point to? No. Could it become the second best MS in the city in the next 5 years? Yes.

Anonymous wrote:The housing going up will not be attractive to families with 12 year olds. And the people who go public for elementary will do what most of Ward 6 does - lottery to charters, go private/parochial or move. It may turn but it will take a very long time.

This.

DCPS has officially ceded middle schools to the charter community. There are now more public school students in middle school charters than middle school DCPS.

Interestingly, there are now also more PreK students in charters than DCPS. The vote of NO CONFIDENCE in DCPS is getting louder and clearer.

(So why do we have to waste hundreds of millions on sinkholes like Roosevelt and Coolidge?)

Anonymous wrote:Maybe in 15-20 years.

Make that 15-20 years after SH becomes attractive. Which is, despite 35+ years of "dedication" not yet.

Anonymous wrote:What happened to Jefferson when it went from a junior high to middle school? This is a long time ago when Vera White was principal, but what happened to the math and science within a school program? It was excellent and made Jefferson a really desirable program and alternative to Deal.

The now-removed Wilson feed was also a factor.

The housing going up will not be attractive to families with 12 year olds. And the people who go public for elementary will do what most of Ward 6 does - lottery to charters, go private/parochial or move. It may turn but it will take a very long time.

What happened to Jefferson when it went from a junior high to middle school? This is a long time ago when Vera White was principal, but what happened to the math and science within a school program? It was excellent and made Jefferson a really desirable program and alternative to Deal.

Nope.

Why this faith in Karl Racine? Literally the only thing he has done that's education-related is agree to defend the new single-sex DCPS high school.

If DCPS would agree to provide advanced academic courses to qualified students, the change would happen very quickly. If so, Jeffeson could be an attractive place in 3 years or less. But DCPS has been negative about paying for extra teachers to lead these courses, because it would be "inequitable" to do it. So, no, it will take a long time to expect at-grade-level kids to go there. Expect more long lines for seats at charter schools, not Jefferson.

But if Racine is elected, who knows, he might change course and decide that "encouraging excellence" should be part of DCPS policy and budget.

It depends on how hard current and feeder parents are willing to work.

Maybe in 15-20 years.

With all of the new housing construction going up in Southwest, and with Van Ness and Brent feeding into Jefferson, how likely will it be that Jefferson Middle School will be an attractive Middle School option for Middle and Upper-Middle class families in the next few years?