Anonymous wrote:Great news! It's nice to see more former schools being given to charters to use as they're supposed to. Charles Young is a good location.

Not trying to be snarky, just wondering 'good location' in what sense? I've admittedly not spent much time nearby but my impression was that it was pretty rough around the edges.

For Two Rivers K-8, the answer is yes. KIPP DC will be moving its college prep high school or a location adjacent to Gallaudet and expects to have college-level partnerships.

Two Rivers Public Charter School, which has about 500 students in preschool through 8th grade at two buildings on Florida Avenue NE, will also be able to double its enrollment at the former Charles E. Young school. The building has been closed since 2008.

“Last year, more than 1,800 students applied for fewer than 35 seats at Two Rivers,” said Jessica Wodatch, the school’s chief executive. “Expanding to the Young site will enable us to offer more high-quality seats for D.C. kids to experience our vibrant, engaging education. We also look forward to partnering with the dedicated members of the Carver Langston community.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/kipp-dc-two-rivers-charters-to-lease-shuttered-district-schools-in-northeast/2013/09/18/1a867b12-20a4-11e3-966c-9c4293c47ebe_story.html

Both sound like good uses of space in Ward 5. New or expanding charters should be able to offer grandfather clauses for locals whose DCPS have closed. Even though we're far from NE, I would prefer to send our child out of boundary to Two Rivers if I new there were lots of locals with whom our child could form lasting friendships.

High schools can be anywhere. Locating next to a university sounds like a good idea for a college prep high school.

Does this mean that KIPP and Two Rivers will have more lottery slots open in the 2014-2015 lottery?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's sad to open TR right next to Browne Ed Campus. As long as charters can kick out kids that don't fit their mold, public schools will continue to fail.

This is not the reason public schools are failing.

True but when you have a set of schools (charters) that have expelled hundreds and another set (DCPS) that has expelled less than 100 over the same time period you do have to ask questions. I don't know what the answer is but it sure is a discrepancy.

Alternative Placement Process for Children with Disabilities in DC

http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/Policy%20%26%20Procedures%20for%20Placement%20Review%20-%20FINAL_0.pdf

Also- what do you mean by severely disabled? I work at a charter school and we serve some pretty severe disabilities, but I would be curious as to what you are considering "severe"?

Great news! It's nice to see more former schools being given to charters to use as they're supposed to. Charles Young is a good location.

Charter schools and DCPS schools go through the same placement process for students with special needs. The process has the same governing body (OSSE).

This process is not "kicking kids out" in either situation. It is finding the Least Restrictive Environment for each child with a disability (as mandated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). For many children with disabilities, this is the general education setting. For others, it is not. Before an outside placement can be made for any student with a disability (and yes, this is ONLY for students with identified disabilities that have an IEP in place that can be proven to be failing that student), there must be ample data that suggest that the general education setting is not the LRE.

For students without disabilities, there is no way OSSE can give an alternative placement. So again, false information.

Anonymous wrote:Charters can not kick out kids that don't fit the mold. This is false information.

No, it isn't. KIPP is notorious for calling OSSE for alternative placements for kids right after the count. And no charters, with the exception of st colleta's, are educating the severely disabled. I'm just saying - charters can and do kick kids out. I have seen it.

Anonymous wrote:Charters can not kick out kids that don't fit the mold. This is false information.

There was some investigative report on suspensions and expulsions in charters vs. DCPS and if I remember correctly, DCPS had far more? Maybe I don't remember correctly.

In any case, those who are anti-charter throw this out there as justification of why the DCPS schools aren't attracting families. No, there are many reasons why DCPS enrollment is down in relation to charters' enrollment increasing. If it was as you say, wouldn't charters be declining?

Charters can not kick out kids that don't fit the mold. This is false information.

I'm not at either KIPP or two Rivers, but this is great news for them! The more charters who move into these big spaces, the more charters keep growing. Great news!

No, but it's one reason they won't get better.

Anonymous wrote:I think it's sad to open TR right next to Browne Ed Campus. As long as charters can kick out kids that don't fit their mold, public schools will continue to fail.

This is not the reason public schools are failing.

I think it's sad to open TR right next to Browne Ed Campus. As long as charters can kick out kids that don't fit their mold, public schools will continue to fail.