Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Oh please. And if DCPS could actually run a middle school program, or start their own middle schools in 5th grade. Problem solved. I can't for the life of me figure out how people justify trying to mess with the charter system that educates nearly half of DC Public school children rather than pressure the grown up experts at DCPS to get it together. The 5th grade curriculum and experience at any charter in DC --not just Latin and Basis--is worlds better than what is happening at a typical DCPS elementary school. And somehow you want to force those students--from all socio-economic backgrounds-- to waste another substandard year for what? Take your mandate elsewhere.

Give me a break. Most charter schools in DC are just as bad as DCPS. There are a handful that are an improvement.

Gee I wonder why nearly half of DC families choose a charter school, then? Are they idiots? misinformed? masochists who want to make their lives and commutes complicated for no good reason? What gives?

They're getting higher behavioral standards and less disruption. Which is great. But it's not a better curriculum or better teachers.

+1000 most parents, including the highly-educated, don’t understand evidence-based curriculum and pedagogy. The amount of parents at my school pontificating about how they are leaving for private (the $50k kind) because their child is being asked to do (insert evidence-based practice here) is alarming…but also good fodder for convos with my colleagues who study such things.

How’s all that evidence based curriculum and pedagogy working out for math and literacy rates in DCPS middle and high schools, dear education researcher person?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Oh please. And if DCPS could actually run a middle school program, or start their own middle schools in 5th grade. Problem solved. I can't for the life of me figure out how people justify trying to mess with the charter system that educates nearly half of DC Public school children rather than pressure the grown up experts at DCPS to get it together. The 5th grade curriculum and experience at any charter in DC --not just Latin and Basis--is worlds better than what is happening at a typical DCPS elementary school. And somehow you want to force those students--from all socio-economic backgrounds-- to waste another substandard year for what? Take your mandate elsewhere.

Give me a break. Most charter schools in DC are just as bad as DCPS. There are a handful that are an improvement.

Gee I wonder why nearly half of DC families choose a charter school, then? Are they idiots? misinformed? masochists who want to make their lives and commutes complicated for no good reason? What gives?

They're getting higher behavioral standards and less disruption. Which is great. But it's not a better curriculum or better teachers.

+1000 most parents, including the highly-educated, don’t understand evidence-based curriculum and pedagogy. The amount of parents at my school pontificating about how they are leaving for private (the $50k kind) because their child is being asked to do (insert evidence-based practice here) is alarming…but also good fodder for convos with my colleagues who study such things.

How’s all that evidence based curriculum and pedagogy working out for math and literacy rates in DCPS middle and high schools, dear education researcher person?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Oh please. And if DCPS could actually run a middle school program, or start their own middle schools in 5th grade. Problem solved. I can't for the life of me figure out how people justify trying to mess with the charter system that educates nearly half of DC Public school children rather than pressure the grown up experts at DCPS to get it together. The 5th grade curriculum and experience at any charter in DC --not just Latin and Basis--is worlds better than what is happening at a typical DCPS elementary school. And somehow you want to force those students--from all socio-economic backgrounds-- to waste another substandard year for what? Take your mandate elsewhere.

Give me a break. Most charter schools in DC are just as bad as DCPS. There are a handful that are an improvement.

Gee I wonder why nearly half of DC families choose a charter school, then? Are they idiots? misinformed? masochists who want to make their lives and commutes complicated for no good reason? What gives?

They're getting higher behavioral standards and less disruption. Which is great. But it's not a better curriculum or better teachers.

+1000 most parents, including the highly-educated, don’t understand evidence-based curriculum and pedagogy. The amount of parents at my school pontificating about how they are leaving for private (the $50k kind) because their child is being asked to do (insert evidence-based practice here) is alarming…but also good fodder for convos with my colleagues who study such things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Oh please. And if DCPS could actually run a middle school program, or start their own middle schools in 5th grade. Problem solved. I can't for the life of me figure out how people justify trying to mess with the charter system that educates nearly half of DC Public school children rather than pressure the grown up experts at DCPS to get it together. The 5th grade curriculum and experience at any charter in DC --not just Latin and Basis--is worlds better than what is happening at a typical DCPS elementary school. And somehow you want to force those students--from all socio-economic backgrounds-- to waste another substandard year for what? Take your mandate elsewhere.

Give me a break. Most charter schools in DC are just as bad as DCPS. There are a handful that are an improvement.

Gee I wonder why nearly half of DC families choose a charter school, then? Are they idiots? misinformed? masochists who want to make their lives and commutes complicated for no good reason? What gives?

They're getting higher behavioral standards and less disruption. Which is great. But it's not a better curriculum or better teachers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Oh please. And if DCPS could actually run a middle school program, or start their own middle schools in 5th grade. Problem solved. I can't for the life of me figure out how people justify trying to mess with the charter system that educates nearly half of DC Public school children rather than pressure the grown up experts at DCPS to get it together. The 5th grade curriculum and experience at any charter in DC --not just Latin and Basis--is worlds better than what is happening at a typical DCPS elementary school. And somehow you want to force those students--from all socio-economic backgrounds-- to waste another substandard year for what? Take your mandate elsewhere.

Give me a break. Most charter schools in DC are just as bad as DCPS. There are a handful that are an improvement.

Gee I wonder why nearly half of DC families choose a charter school, then? Are they idiots? misinformed? masochists who want to make their lives and commutes complicated for no good reason? What gives?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Oh please. And if DCPS could actually run a middle school program, or start their own middle schools in 5th grade. Problem solved. I can't for the life of me figure out how people justify trying to mess with the charter system that educates nearly half of DC Public school children rather than pressure the grown up experts at DCPS to get it together. The 5th grade curriculum and experience at any charter in DC --not just Latin and Basis--is worlds better than what is happening at a typical DCPS elementary school. And somehow you want to force those students--from all socio-economic backgrounds-- to waste another substandard year for what? Take your mandate elsewhere.

Give me a break. Most charter schools in DC are just as bad as DCPS. There are a handful that are an improvement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Oh please. And if DCPS could actually run a middle school program, or start their own middle schools in 5th grade. Problem solved. I can't for the life of me figure out how people justify trying to mess with the charter system that educates nearly half of DC Public school children rather than pressure the grown up experts at DCPS to get it together. The 5th grade curriculum and experience at any charter in DC --not just Latin and Basis--is worlds better than what is happening at a typical DCPS elementary school. And somehow you want to force those students--from all socio-economic backgrounds-- to waste another substandard year for what? Take your mandate elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

+1. The problem is really that charters start in 5th grade, so people jump because they are afraid to lose their chance. If charters were somehow mandated to start in 6th grade, you might have enough families stick together to try IB at Eliot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why the hate? My impression was the oldest daughter was especially high achieving. You know the type. He conceded that going to Walls from EH was the overall much better fit for her. I do not think there is any real inconsistency in believing in neighborhood schools, supporting DCPS, and sending a very high-achieving child who gets in to a DCPS application high school.

How do we know that Eastern’s IB program isn’t full of high achieving students?

Easy enough. Look at the IB averages. I hear it’s 24 or 25. 24 is the minimum that you need to get the IB diploma.

For top schools like Ivies, you need minimum 40-42. For top 20 schools high 30’s.

Definitely not high achieving. Average IB scores are bottom of the barrel.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious what people think it would take to make Eastern a strong option. It seems like a lot of the ingredients are there. The neighborhood has tons of families who I think would prefer to send their kid to a diverse public school, but aren’t comfortable picking one with so few kids on grade level and so few options for strong students. The IB program seems like a great potential solution to that—why hasn’t that taken off? Have they just not done enough to make it attractive? Making Eastern stronger would help the middle schools too, I would think. What is the barrier? I’m genuinely asking because I just don’t know.

You will never get but in when you have kids 4-5 grade levels apart in a class.

You will never get buy in when your top tier and best for performance is grade level.

You will never get buy in when you refuse to track academically and all you care about is the bottom half.

You will never get buy in when you continue to lower academic standards in the name of equity.

Some families may tolerate above in elementary but stakes are much higher in middle school and you can’t just supplement everything in addition to all day wasted at school.

And that is why there have never been, and are not now, any white college-bound kids at J-R. /sarcasm

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious what people think it would take to make Eastern a strong option. It seems like a lot of the ingredients are there. The neighborhood has tons of families who I think would prefer to send their kid to a diverse public school, but aren’t comfortable picking one with so few kids on grade level and so few options for strong students. The IB program seems like a great potential solution to that—why hasn’t that taken off? Have they just not done enough to make it attractive? Making Eastern stronger would help the middle schools too, I would think. What is the barrier? I’m genuinely asking because I just don’t know.

You will never get but in when you have kids 4-5 grade levels apart in a class.

You will never get buy in when your top tier and best for performance is grade level.

You will never get buy in when you refuse to track academically and all you care about is the bottom half.

You will never get buy in when you continue to lower academic standards in the name of equity.

Some families may tolerate above in elementary but stakes are much higher in middle school and you can’t just supplement everything in addition to all day wasted at school.

And that is why there have never been, and are not now, any white college-bound kids at J-R. /sarcasm

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious what people think it would take to make Eastern a strong option. It seems like a lot of the ingredients are there. The neighborhood has tons of families who I think would prefer to send their kid to a diverse public school, but aren’t comfortable picking one with so few kids on grade level and so few options for strong students. The IB program seems like a great potential solution to that—why hasn’t that taken off? Have they just not done enough to make it attractive? Making Eastern stronger would help the middle schools too, I would think. What is the barrier? I’m genuinely asking because I just don’t know.

You will never get but in when you have kids 4-5 grade levels apart in a class.

You will never get buy in when your top tier and best for performance is grade level.

You will never get buy in when you refuse to track academically and all you care about is the bottom half.

You will never get buy in when you continue to lower academic standards in the name of equity.

Some families may tolerate above in elementary but stakes are much higher in middle school and you can’t just supplement everything in addition to all day wasted at school.

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious what people think it would take to make Eastern a strong option. It seems like a lot of the ingredients are there. The neighborhood has tons of families who I think would prefer to send their kid to a diverse public school, but aren’t comfortable picking one with so few kids on grade level and so few options for strong students. The IB program seems like a great potential solution to that—why hasn’t that taken off? Have they just not done enough to make it attractive? Making Eastern stronger would help the middle schools too, I would think. What is the barrier? I’m genuinely asking because I just don’t know.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's failure to attract a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families is a no brainer. The main problem is that there's no DCPS middle-high school bridge East of Rock Creek, with UMC Hill families overwhelmingly peeling off for vastly superior charter middle/highs schools that take them to 12th grade or for Walls or Banneker for 9th. Without a super duper test-in IBD program, e.g. Richard Montgomery in Rockville, Eastern has no allure for almost all high SES families EotP. DCPS doesn't give a hoot and political heads don't roll over the state of Eastern.

If Eliot-Hine's IB program becomes really strong, I can see families try to stick together and continue on at Eastern.