Hell0. At least at Brent we fought for two or three years for a solution to the middle school problem on Capitol Hill. We polled and met and researched and came up with multiple scenarios that would keep parents in our local middle schools. These ranged from consolidating feeder patterns to controlled choice options among the three middle schools, to seed programs to start small and then when critical mass was gained located on the bigger middle schools. Ideas also included feeding Brent and Maury to Stuart Hobson. We had to fight to actually allow a feed from Brent to both Eliot Hine and Jefferson rather than just Jefferson to avoid the idiotic scenario DCPS favored which was Maury to one middle school, Watkins to another and Brent to another. We didn't demand anything, but laid in their laps multiple ways that they could capture the rising numbers of neighborhood families coming out of hill elementary schools before the charters grabbed them. Their "plan" was to wait for the growing numbers of Hill elementary graduates to get high enough so they would eventually naturally feel comfortable moving on to these middle schools all together. The result? As we predicted and told them would happen years ago, the fifth grades are emptying out as the neighborhood jumps to charters.

So People have been focused and working on these issues for several years now but have been told to ****off. Maybe it is time for a second wave of activism around this. Come up with a plan and get someone elected around it

Three middle schools = discord and lack of a critical mass.

One middle school = ties that bind, critical mass and economies of scale.

I agree that if all of those schools fed to the same middle school it could be a good thing. You'd still lose kids to charters and private schools and in part that happens even in NW. But right now very few Hill kids go to their in boundary middle school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Hill parents who complain about the quality of the middle/high schools AND tell non-Hill people that they should just invest in their local DCPS elementary schools and stop applying OOB--the same applies to you. Invest in your in-boundary middle and high schools; send your kids there and work to make the schools better.

No need. ES is up to 8 years of highly dependent childhood. I would put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter. I'd put my 10 year old on a bus for Ward 2, 4 or 5 charter middle school. Or shell out for 3 years of private school. Whatever it takes. Eastern, Eliot Hine, Jefferson are not there yet. Stuart Hobson? Eh. Just assume go to the equally eh Hardy where space can be gained and feed to Wilson. Depending on charter options, SWW or private for HS, sssuming charter MS/HS doesn't pan out.

Not judging the above thinking process or conclusions, but want to point out that this is exactly what the city government officials are counting on - engaged parents willing to dance to their tune, whatever it is, to get their kids a good public education, and unwilling to organize and fight for their neighborhood schools.

This implies a far greater level of competence and foresight on the part of our city officials than any of them actually have (with the possible exceptions of Catania and Mendelson).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Hill parents who complain about the quality of the middle/high schools AND tell non-Hill people that they should just invest in their local DCPS elementary schools and stop applying OOB--the same applies to you. Invest in your in-boundary middle and high schools; send your kids there and work to make the schools better.

No need. ES is up to 8 years of highly dependent childhood. I would put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter. I'd put my 10 year old on a bus for Ward 2, 4 or 5 charter middle school. Or shell out for 3 years of private school. Whatever it takes. Eastern, Eliot Hine, Jefferson are not there yet. Stuart Hobson? Eh. Just assume go to the equally eh Hardy where space can be gained and feed to Wilson. Depending on charter options, SWW or private for HS, sssuming charter MS/HS doesn't pan out.

Not judging the above thinking process or conclusions, but want to point out that this is exactly what the city government officials are counting on - engaged parents willing to dance to their tune, whatever it is, to get their kids a good public education, and unwilling to organize and fight for their neighborhood schools.

PP here -- not dancing to anybody's tune. Just a realist about MS prospects. Could involve moving too. We have plenty of time to decide. I have low expectations for Stuart Hobson as it currently does little to attract, retain or seriously challenge neighborhood kids. If you could feed one MS with Brent, Maury, SWS, Van Ness, Watkins, and Tyler (SI at least) you could have a pretty good neighborhood middle school. I doubt it will ever happen.

Well, it definitely WON'T happen if people just wait around for it without getting actively involved.

I'm not sure it's a superior option to some of the other scenarios. You're unlikely to get the families who bailed for charter ES to come back to DCPS. You'd need a critical mass of families who are currently split between schools feeding three MS options, none of which are particularly liked by the neighborhood. You also have more academically rigorous options elsewhere beginning in 5th grade. Attracting neighborhood families for MS would take the kind of game changing approach normally eschewed by DCPS. Even far enough out (>5 years) I don't see it happening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Hill parents who complain about the quality of the middle/high schools AND tell non-Hill people that they should just invest in their local DCPS elementary schools and stop applying OOB--the same applies to you. Invest in your in-boundary middle and high schools; send your kids there and work to make the schools better.

No need. ES is up to 8 years of highly dependent childhood. I would put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter. I'd put my 10 year old on a bus for Ward 2, 4 or 5 charter middle school. Or shell out for 3 years of private school. Whatever it takes. Eastern, Eliot Hine, Jefferson are not there yet. Stuart Hobson? Eh. Just assume go to the equally eh Hardy where space can be gained and feed to Wilson. Depending on charter options, SWW or private for HS, sssuming charter MS/HS doesn't pan out.

Not judging the above thinking process or conclusions, but want to point out that this is exactly what the city government officials are counting on - engaged parents willing to dance to their tune, whatever it is, to get their kids a good public education, and unwilling to organize and fight for their neighborhood schools.

PP here -- not dancing to anybody's tune. Just a realist about MS prospects. Could involve moving too. We have plenty of time to decide. I have low expectations for Stuart Hobson as it currently does little to attract, retain or seriously challenge neighborhood kids. If you could feed one MS with Brent, Maury, SWS, Van Ness, Watkins, and Tyler (SI at least) you could have a pretty good neighborhood middle school. I doubt it will ever happen.

Well, it definitely WON'T happen if people just wait around for it without getting actively involved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Hill parents who complain about the quality of the middle/high schools AND tell non-Hill people that they should just invest in their local DCPS elementary schools and stop applying OOB--the same applies to you. Invest in your in-boundary middle and high schools; send your kids there and work to make the schools better.

No need. ES is up to 8 years of highly dependent childhood. I would put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter. I'd put my 10 year old on a bus for Ward 2, 4 or 5 charter middle school. Or shell out for 3 years of private school. Whatever it takes. Eastern, Eliot Hine, Jefferson are not there yet. Stuart Hobson? Eh. Just assume go to the equally eh Hardy where space can be gained and feed to Wilson. Depending on charter options, SWW or private for HS, sssuming charter MS/HS doesn't pan out.

Not judging the above thinking process or conclusions, but want to point out that this is exactly what the city government officials are counting on - engaged parents willing to dance to their tune, whatever it is, to get their kids a good public education, and unwilling to organize and fight for their neighborhood schools.

PP here -- not dancing to anybody's tune. Just a realist about MS prospects. Could involve moving too. We have plenty of time to decide. I have low expectations for Stuart Hobson as it currently does little to attract, retain or seriously challenge neighborhood kids. If you could feed one MS with Brent, Maury, SWS, Van Ness, Watkins, and Tyler (SI at least) you could have a pretty good neighborhood middle school. I doubt it will ever happen.

^ sorry, meant for the LT thread!

Honestly, its truly all mute until Cobbs is gone. Truly.

Anonymous wrote:
No need. ES is up to 8 years of highly dependent childhood. I would put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter. I'd put my 10 year old on a bus for Ward 2, 4 or 5 charter middle school. Or shell out for 3 years of private school. Whatever it takes. Eastern, Eliot Hine, Jefferson are not there yet. Stuart Hobson? Eh. Just assume go to the equally eh Hardy where space can be gained and feed to Wilson. Depending on charter options, SWW or private for HS, sssuming charter MS/HS doesn't pan out.

And this is what's holding back the L-T families; too many of your neighbors are happy to do just this. If I was the parent of a one-year-old, I would be organizing like crazy with my fellow parents, both those with babies and those with 3's and 4's already at Ludlow-Taylor. The critical mass is there, but people are splitting off to paste together their own solutions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Hill parents who complain about the quality of the middle/high schools AND tell non-Hill people that they should just invest in their local DCPS elementary schools and stop applying OOB--the same applies to you. Invest in your in-boundary middle and high schools; send your kids there and work to make the schools better.

No need. ES is up to 8 years of highly dependent childhood. I would put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter. I'd put my 10 year old on a bus for Ward 2, 4 or 5 charter middle school. Or shell out for 3 years of private school. Whatever it takes. Eastern, Eliot Hine, Jefferson are not there yet. Stuart Hobson? Eh. Just assume go to the equally eh Hardy where space can be gained and feed to Wilson. Depending on charter options, SWW or private for HS, sssuming charter MS/HS doesn't pan out.

Not judging the above thinking process or conclusions, but want to point out that this is exactly what the city government officials are counting on - engaged parents willing to dance to their tune, whatever it is, to get their kids a good public education, and unwilling to organize and fight for their neighborhood schools.

would <i>not</i> put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter.

Anonymous wrote:For the Hill parents who complain about the quality of the middle/high schools AND tell non-Hill people that they should just invest in their local DCPS elementary schools and stop applying OOB--the same applies to you. Invest in your in-boundary middle and high schools; send your kids there and work to make the schools better.

No need. ES is up to 8 years of highly dependent childhood. I would put my 4 year old or even my 7 year old on a bus to distant OOB or charter. I'd put my 10 year old on a bus for Ward 2, 4 or 5 charter middle school. Or shell out for 3 years of private school. Whatever it takes. Eastern, Eliot Hine, Jefferson are not there yet. Stuart Hobson? Eh. Just assume go to the equally eh Hardy where space can be gained and feed to Wilson. Depending on charter options, SWW or private for HS, sssuming charter MS/HS doesn't pan out.

For the Hill parents who complain about the quality of the middle/high schools AND tell non-Hill people that they should just invest in their local DCPS elementary schools and stop applying OOB--the same applies to you. Invest in your in-boundary middle and high schools; send your kids there and work to make the schools better.

If you respond to things that you don't understand, then you are enjoying my salad.

What I am saying if DCPS went on the notion to only invest on the Capitol Hill notion on what Eastern should've have been, then it would not have survive or been needed. That's why DCPS went city-wide in re-launching Eastern because the Capitol Hill neighborhoods were not worthy of such a jewel.

So, if DCPS would have given it up to Capitol Hill to serve Eastern then would've disgarded it just as fast.