Anonymous wrote:My kid is not at a feeder and we'd have to luck out on one of the few spots to lottery in but I am still completely for the school. The more high quality middle school and high school spots there are in the city, the better the chance my kid will have to get one.

Otherwise, we'll be competing with all of these DCI feeder schools for the few good charter/DCPS spots currently available. More successful schools, even if your kid doesn't get in, is good for all of us. I don't understand how people can be so short-sighted to not see that.

Agree.

We are not at a feeder and not at a language immersion school. My child would never go to DCI, but I stand 100% in support of DCI. We need good programs and good public school seats for ALL of our kids. Yours, mine, and all DC kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI serves 5 charter elementary schools, each of which has about a 2% lottery admission rate. The school will already receive a capital allotment on top of its per pupil allotment, as do all charter schools.

I would be disinclined to vote for a mayor who would give this (unproven) school more of my tax dollars, given the paltry chance that most of the kids in DC could ever attend. I would also be disinclined to vote for a mayor that would get involved in the schools at this level of minutiae instead of figuring out how to fix the fire department so that it doesn't let people die in the streets.

I agree with you PP. I am also a YY parent who has a tix for the May 3rd event. However, unless one of the candidates ask me my thoughts on the subject (doubtful), I will remain silent on this matter at the Gala. But, I do agree with you. DC should treat all the charters equally. If DCI receives 6 million dollars, I think all charters with the intent of creating MS should also receive 6 million unrefundable dollars from the city.

You write this as if other charters have tried to get funding to start middle schools or expand and, after meeting the other PCSB requirements, somehow didn't get the funding. What charters have been in a similar position and met all the requirements but were somehow turned away from starting a middle school?

Unless you have an example of this, your post makes no sense PP. How is DC *not* treating all charters equally?

Other charters do not get $6 million grants for physical plant before enrolling a single student. They get a capital allotment, and save or rent out of that.

That's true, other charters don't get direct grants of that amount, but many do get old DCPS buildings for well below market rent. It's essentially the same thing. That said, I agree that a one off allocation is poor public policy. But this is the problem in DC- there is no way to create a coherent vision and policy approach to deal with things like funding, building allocations, etc, because of all of the disparate players involved. It's a fundamental structural problem, and I don't see any Mayor being able to change that too much unless he/she gets a lot of Council assistance. And something like schools is probably too dangerous for the Council to get involved with directly. They are taking the blowback on DME's proposals to heart.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI serves 5 charter elementary schools, each of which has about a 2% lottery admission rate. The school will already receive a capital allotment on top of its per pupil allotment, as do all charter schools.

I would be disinclined to vote for a mayor who would give this (unproven) school more of my tax dollars, given the paltry chance that most of the kids in DC could ever attend. I would also be disinclined to vote for a mayor that would get involved in the schools at this level of minutiae instead of figuring out how to fix the fire department so that it doesn't let people die in the streets.

I agree with you PP. I am also a YY parent who has a tix for the May 3rd event. However, unless one of the candidates ask me my thoughts on the subject (doubtful), I will remain silent on this matter at the Gala. But, I do agree with you. DC should treat all the charters equally. If DCI receives 6 million dollars, I think all charters with the intent of creating MS should also receive 6 million unrefundable dollars from the city.

You write this as if other charters have tried to get funding to start middle schools or expand and, after meeting the other PCSB requirements, somehow didn't get the funding. What charters have been in a similar position and met all the requirements but were somehow turned away from starting a middle school?

Unless you have an example of this, your post makes no sense PP. How is DC *not* treating all charters equally?

Other charters do not get $6 million grants for physical plant before enrolling a single student. They get a capital allotment, and save or rent out of that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a fan of the DCI concept. It's essentially a private school for graduates of the feeder schools, at the public's expense.

Charters were supposed to be open to all students city-wide.

You are so right! Who do these parents... who live in DC... and got their spots in a lottery (or through sibling preference after getting in in the lottery)... and come from all over the District... who do they think they are? Because we all know DC public charter schools are ONLY for DC residents who get in through random admission or sibling preference!!! The nerve of them!!!



In all seriousness PP, your post begs the question: if you don't think schools full to their capacity of DC resident kids who got in NOT by paying exorbitant school fees but by applying and winning the lottery don't deserve to track into middle and high schools (um, just like DCPS has feeder schools full of public school kids), then exactly WHO do you think SHOULD be at the school?

It's a new school. It should have a new lottery and/or and entrance exam open to all.

Again, you are missing a giant important piece of the puzzle: it is a new school that was formed specifically to allow a language pathway for students to graduate from 12th grade fluent in 2 languages and proficient in a 3rd. You can't have a serious conversation about DCI without understanding that.

DCI was not some idea for a middle and high school that then, as an afterthought, someone said "Oh, elementary schools should feed it". It grew OUT of the lack of language options for students in bilingual elementary schools to continue their language learning. It was created for a purpose, and opening the lottery up to all new students completely destroys and erases the whole point of the school.

DCI does and will also have slots for brand new students and a track for them to graduate proficient in a 2nd language (I think DCI founders assume every student will be fluent in English by graduation, and either fluent in the 2nd language they did since elementary school plus proficient in a 3rd chosen in middle, or for new students they'll be fluent in English and proficient in a 2nd language by graduation).

But the whole vision and idea and birth of the effort that is producing DCI is as a way for bilingual students in 3 languages in DC (currently from 5 schools) to be able to continue their language learning, plus acquire another language, while still in a quality learning environment on all core subjects. If it is pulled off it will be the 1st such school in the country and it is providing a middle and high school alternative to thousands of DC kids. Who, have we mentioned, live all over the District and got into their feeder school or into DCI through a random public lottery.

You, PP, are free to dislike the whole vision, but since you didn't say you are opposed to the vision and have said clearly that you're only opposed because it will be so hard to get in if you're not at a feeder, then you need to understand that the school wouldn't exist at all if it was just a new middle or high school with no relationship to the elementary schools that created it. It wouldn't be able to accomplish the educational goals it was designed to produce. DCI isn't DCI if all students start learning their 2nd language in 6th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI serves 5 charter elementary schools, each of which has about a 2% lottery admission rate. The school will already receive a capital allotment on top of its per pupil allotment, as do all charter schools.

I would be disinclined to vote for a mayor who would give this (unproven) school more of my tax dollars, given the paltry chance that most of the kids in DC could ever attend. I would also be disinclined to vote for a mayor that would get involved in the schools at this level of minutiae instead of figuring out how to fix the fire department so that it doesn't let people die in the streets.

I agree with you PP. I am also a YY parent who has a tix for the May 3rd event. However, unless one of the candidates ask me my thoughts on the subject (doubtful), I will remain silent on this matter at the Gala. But, I do agree with you. DC should treat all the charters equally. If DCI receives 6 million dollars, I think all charters with the intent of creating MS should also receive 6 million unrefundable dollars from the city.

You write this as if other charters have tried to get funding to start middle schools or expand and, after meeting the other PCSB requirements, somehow didn't get the funding. What charters have been in a similar position and met all the requirements but were somehow turned away from starting a middle school?

Unless you have an example of this, your post makes no sense PP. How is DC *not* treating all charters equally?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI serves 5 charter elementary schools, each of which has about a 2% lottery admission rate. The school will already receive a capital allotment on top of its per pupil allotment, as do all charter schools.

I would be disinclined to vote for a mayor who would give this (unproven) school more of my tax dollars, given the paltry chance that most of the kids in DC could ever attend. I would also be disinclined to vote for a mayor that would get involved in the schools at this level of minutiae instead of figuring out how to fix the fire department so that it doesn't let people die in the streets.

I agree with you PP. I am also a YY parent who has a tix for the May 3rd event. However, unless one of the candidates ask me my thoughts on the subject (doubtful), I will remain silent on this matter at the Gala. But, I do agree with you. DC should treat all the charters equally. If DCI receives 6 million dollars, I think all charters with the intent of creating MS should also receive 6 million unrefundable dollars from the city.

It's not about the exact dollar amount, it's about developing policies, including allocation of funds, that encourage the creation and growth of strong middle and high schools. DCI happens to be the one up right now, but there are plenty of others, and there need to be more. We need to push all elected officials for plans and programs to accomplish this. As already stated all over this site, "Alice Deal for All" is not a plan or a program.

Anonymous wrote:DCI serves 5 charter elementary schools, each of which has about a 2% lottery admission rate. The school will already receive a capital allotment on top of its per pupil allotment, as do all charter schools.

I would be disinclined to vote for a mayor who would give this (unproven) school more of my tax dollars, given the paltry chance that most of the kids in DC could ever attend. I would also be disinclined to vote for a mayor that would get involved in the schools at this level of minutiae instead of figuring out how to fix the fire department so that it doesn't let people die in the streets.

I agree with you PP. I am also a YY parent who has a tix for the May 3rd event. However, unless one of the candidates ask me my thoughts on the subject (doubtful), I will remain silent on this matter at the Gala. But, I do agree with you. DC should treat all the charters equally. If DCI receives 6 million dollars, I think all charters with the intent of creating MS should also receive 6 million unrefundable dollars from the city.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI serves 5 charter elementary schools, each of which has about a 2% lottery admission rate. The school will already receive a capital allotment on top of its per pupil allotment, as do all charter schools.

I would be disinclined to vote for a mayor who would give this (unproven) school more of my tax dollars, given the paltry chance that most of the kids in DC could ever attend. I would also be disinclined to vote for a mayor that would get involved in the schools at this level of minutiae instead of figuring out how to fix the fire department so that it doesn't let people die in the streets.

Then you're obviously against all successful charters, because they were ALL 1) unproven before they opened; 2) now very hard to get access to because they are - wait for it - full of DC kids who got in through a random lottery.

Are you also against defunding the popular DCPS schools since sometimes they don't even let in everyone with sibling preference? They have very low lottery admission rates as well, and some grades have 0% admission rates. Will you be looking for mayors who support cutting off their tax dollars too?

The charters already get the per pupil allotment plus a capital supplement for physical plant. I don't know why DCI should get more than that. The other charters do not.

Which is less than what DCPS gets per student and without providing facilities or major renovation funding like the ~$130mil Roosevelt is getting for about 400 students. DCI would serve multiples of that the first day and want only a fraction of what some other schools are getting.

If your bone to pick is that other charters are not getting equal funding, then why not fight for them to get more vs holding back what could be a real educational win for the city? (Besides the point that the city doesn't distribute renovation funds to DCPS school equally, so its not like it would be some new phenomenon).

My kid is not at a feeder and we'd have to luck out on one of the few spots to lottery in but I am still completely for the school. The more high quality middle school and high school spots there are in the city, the better the chance my kid will have to get one.

Otherwise, we'll be competing with all of these DCI feeder schools for the few good charter/DCPS spots currently available. More successful schools, even if your kid doesn't get in, is good for all of us. I don't understand how people can be so short-sighted to not see that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a fan of the DCI concept. It's essentially a private school for graduates of the feeder schools, at the public's expense.

Charters were supposed to be open to all students city-wide.

You are so right! Who do these parents... who live in DC... and got their spots in a lottery (or through sibling preference after getting in in the lottery)... and come from all over the District... who do they think they are? Because we all know DC public charter schools are ONLY for DC residents who get in through random admission or sibling preference!!! The nerve of them!!!



In all seriousness PP, your post begs the question: if you don't think schools full to their capacity of DC resident kids who got in NOT by paying exorbitant school fees but by applying and winning the lottery don't deserve to track into middle and high schools (um, just like DCPS has feeder schools full of public school kids), then exactly WHO do you think SHOULD be at the school?

It's a new school. It should have a new lottery and/or and entrance exam open to all.

Do you mean that the students from the feeders should have to lottery in?

Doubtful that'll happen since DCI was created so the feeder's student will have continuity in their education.

By your logic, all DCPS students at feeders for Deal, etc will have to lottery into Deal. Imagine the huge stink that'll cause.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's a new school. It should have a new lottery and/or and entrance exam open to all.

Er, it does have a lottery that is open to all. Am I missing something?

No, you are not. The lottery was held on Tuesday.

http://dcinternationalschool.org/join-us/sy-2014-15-lottery-results-and-waitlist/

Anonymous wrote:
It's a new school. It should have a new lottery and/or and entrance exam open to all.

Er, it does have a lottery that is open to all. Am I missing something?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a fan of the DCI concept. It's essentially a private school for graduates of the feeder schools, at the public's expense.

Charters were supposed to be open to all students city-wide.

You are so right! Who do these parents... who live in DC... and got their spots in a lottery (or through sibling preference after getting in in the lottery)... and come from all over the District... who do they think they are? Because we all know DC public charter schools are ONLY for DC residents who get in through random admission or sibling preference!!! The nerve of them!!!



In all seriousness PP, your post begs the question: if you don't think schools full to their capacity of DC resident kids who got in NOT by paying exorbitant school fees but by applying and winning the lottery don't deserve to track into middle and high schools (um, just like DCPS has feeder schools full of public school kids), then exactly WHO do you think SHOULD be at the school?

It's a new school. It should have a new lottery and/or and entrance exam open to all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI serves 5 charter elementary schools, each of which has about a 2% lottery admission rate. The school will already receive a capital allotment on top of its per pupil allotment, as do all charter schools.

I would be disinclined to vote for a mayor who would give this (unproven) school more of my tax dollars, given the paltry chance that most of the kids in DC could ever attend. I would also be disinclined to vote for a mayor that would get involved in the schools at this level of minutiae instead of figuring out how to fix the fire department so that it doesn't let people die in the streets.

You're planning not to vote, then.

Go to it sweetheart, that's some kind of way to make your point. Or something.

I think the mayoral candidates will find that more people think as I do. Neither is above pandering, but I don't know that DCI parents have achieved critical mass.

I don't think you're informed. Catania is 100% behind DCI. It's not just about funding the school for the school's sake. It 's also about changing the face of education in the District to the outside world. DCI, as a unique institution of higher learning, which will foster second and even third language acquisition, is the sort of innovative school that will attract cosmo families around the world to the city. That tax base will provide the funds and the minds to create even more programs like DCI. The problem and hatred for DCI right now is that it can't admit everyone who wants to attend. This is a tragedy and every child who wants to attend is certainly worthy and deserves a spot. The reality is there just isn't enough space. What we need are hungry innovators who will come and create even more programs like DCI. DCI is the spring board for this. We should all be supporting it and doing everything we can to make it succeed.

I bet DCI will get the money elsewhere, the people running it are super invested and their kids are in the feeder schools.