The long term answer is probably going to have to be some of the middle income families coming together to form their own charter school that meets their kids needs.

Anonymous wrote:There have been conversations at ITS around wanting more geographic diversity (more EOTR families). Is it primarily a transportation/commute issue? What can ITS & other existing WOTR progressive charters do to be more welcoming to EOTR families?

Ward 7 parent here. I think the main issue is not having viable neighborhood options, and a plethora west. I do know that the issue of diversity is interesting in terms of the population it serves. While at an open house at a Capitol Hill school for instance, a group of parents asked about what they are doing about diversity/inclusion. The principal's response was that there are plans to include more of an "at-risk" population. Problem #1. The assumption that our children are at risk. Problem #2. Inclusion of at-risk children still doesn't solve the issue of viable options for middle-high SES EOTR families that are not "at-risk".

Generally speaking, I'd love to see more interest EOTR outside of the Kipp and DC Prep models. I, too, have noticed the way they speak to the children. This is largely because the model is an "alien landing" model with folks who have no idea of the climate, coming in with their assumptions to "save" the at-risk kids. It obviously works for some children, but I don't want my kid lumped in with those assumptions. I'd like to see not only more charters, but revitalization of the DCPS schools already in existence. A parent board alone won't do the trick. There has to be interest politically, economically, etc

There have been conversations at ITS around wanting more geographic diversity (more EOTR families). Is it primarily a transportation/commute issue? What can ITS & other existing WOTR progressive charters do to be more welcoming to EOTR families?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is one of the families that OP was referencing. We bought EOTR (Ward 7) for a single family home with a nice yard and mortgage that would still allow us to live fairly comfortably. We did not, however, think that the schools in Ward 7 would be an option -- my now 3rd grader started in private and is currently in a charter in Ward 5, where my almost 3 y.o. will also mostly likely attend in the fall. Outside of the introduction of a Spanish Immersion program at Houston and rumors of a gifted MS program at Sousa, it doesn't appear that DCPS is focused on increasing options for the families OP described. There are schools like KIPP and DC Prep in Ward 7, but even those have extensive waitlists due to the state of the neighborhoods schools. It's a pity because I know quite a few families like ours (professional, relatively high SES) with kids ages from 0 to 10 who pay for private or haul their kids across town for an acceptable education who would love to invest their time and energy in a great local school. Not happening tho

We are also a Ward 7 African American, high SES family with young children and our DD is starting pk3 this year. We likely visited 15 schools to find the right fit for our family, with commute, environment, curriculum, etc. in mind. The main difference we noticed in EOTR schools is the focus on discipline and the way they talk to the students which was not present in any schools we visited WOTR. So, even KIPP and DC Prep are not for us.

So did you go charter? If you didn't get into a WOTR charter, what was your plan?

I would expect KIPP would say the same thing. I don't know DC Prep, but if its target population is the same as KIPP's, it likely isn't meant for you either.

I am a Ward 7 resident as well with two kids approaching PK3. What EOTR schools did you consider? Any thoughts on Randle Highlands?

Randle Highlands is our IB school. We would've visited if we ended up there but we met them at EdFest. We considered Beers, Randle Highlands, KIPP, and Appletree. We didn't like the Tools of the Mind curriculum at Beers and RH or that when we visited Beers, on the tour, we actually saw a teacher physically restraining a student (holding him by the wrist) sitting beside her in circle time. I was shocked because if she did this in front of us, what happens when we're not there. Also, walking by a classroom with the door shut (the only classroom they didn't take us in) we could clearly hear a teacher yelling at a student, "You don't tell me what to do, I tell you what to do!" We never witnessed this in any WOTR schools. I heard from a friend whose DD attends Appletree LP that even the Appletrees in SE are very different from the others WOTR.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is one of the families that OP was referencing. We bought EOTR (Ward 7) for a single family home with a nice yard and mortgage that would still allow us to live fairly comfortably. We did not, however, think that the schools in Ward 7 would be an option -- my now 3rd grader started in private and is currently in a charter in Ward 5, where my almost 3 y.o. will also mostly likely attend in the fall. Outside of the introduction of a Spanish Immersion program at Houston and rumors of a gifted MS program at Sousa, it doesn't appear that DCPS is focused on increasing options for the families OP described. There are schools like KIPP and DC Prep in Ward 7, but even those have extensive waitlists due to the state of the neighborhoods schools. It's a pity because I know quite a few families like ours (professional, relatively high SES) with kids ages from 0 to 10 who pay for private or haul their kids across town for an acceptable education who would love to invest their time and energy in a great local school. Not happening tho

We are also a Ward 7 African American, high SES family with young children and our DD is starting pk3 this year. We likely visited 15 schools to find the right fit for our family, with commute, environment, curriculum, etc. in mind. The main difference we noticed in EOTR schools is the focus on discipline and the way they talk to the students which was not present in any schools we visited WOTR. So, even KIPP and DC Prep are not for us.

So did you go charter? If you didn't get into a WOTR charter, what was your plan?

We went WOTR DCPS. We had mostly charters on our list, though. If we didn't get in, we would have had to figure it out with our IB and try again next year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A new progressive charter is going through the application process - Interactive Academy. Would be PK3-5 and says they want to locate in Ward 7 or 8, opening fall 2017.

Not approved by DCPCSB yet.

http://www.dcpcsb.org/blog/board-receives-two-new-public-charter-school-applications

Doesn't look too good for that application to be approved this Monday: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1999638#anchor

True enough. Posted as evidence that someone at least is trying to open a different kind of charter than has tried to open in that area before. Whether this is the right group or they should get a charter is a totally different question.

Anonymous wrote:A new progressive charter is going through the application process - Interactive Academy. Would be PK3-5 and says they want to locate in Ward 7 or 8, opening fall 2017.

Not approved by DCPCSB yet.

http://www.dcpcsb.org/blog/board-receives-two-new-public-charter-school-applications

Doesn't look too good for that application to be approved this Monday: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1999638#anchor

A new progressive charter is going through the application process - Interactive Academy. Would be PK3-5 and says they want to locate in Ward 7 or 8, opening fall 2017.

Not approved by DCPCSB yet.

http://www.dcpcsb.org/blog/board-receives-two-new-public-charter-school-applications

Anonymous wrote:

I have heard part of the problem is DCPS not releasing shuttered school buildings to charters.

While a short one-way from the Hill, going east and then back west, especially over the backed-up brides, is not an easy overall commute.

The majority of the schools on the surplus list are on the eastern side of town. When charter operators say they can't find buildings, they really mean, "We can't find metro accessible buildings near where our 'progressive' founding families live."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is one of the families that OP was referencing. We bought EOTR (Ward 7) for a single family home with a nice yard and mortgage that would still allow us to live fairly comfortably. We did not, however, think that the schools in Ward 7 would be an option -- my now 3rd grader started in private and is currently in a charter in Ward 5, where my almost 3 y.o. will also mostly likely attend in the fall. Outside of the introduction of a Spanish Immersion program at Houston and rumors of a gifted MS program at Sousa, it doesn't appear that DCPS is focused on increasing options for the families OP described. There are schools like KIPP and DC Prep in Ward 7, but even those have extensive waitlists due to the state of the neighborhoods schools. It's a pity because I know quite a few families like ours (professional, relatively high SES) with kids ages from 0 to 10 who pay for private or haul their kids across town for an acceptable education who would love to invest their time and energy in a great local school. Not happening tho

We are also a Ward 7 African American, high SES family with young children and our DD is starting pk3 this year. We likely visited 15 schools to find the right fit for our family, with commute, environment, curriculum, etc. in mind. The main difference we noticed in EOTR schools is the focus on discipline and the way they talk to the students which was not present in any schools we visited WOTR. So, even KIPP and DC Prep are not for us.

I think there could be a real draw in a progressive charter locating in Ward 7 or 8. If Breakthrough Montessori had been located near the Capitol Heights metro (which I think was one location floated, although they always said they wanted to be in Ward 1 where they ended up) we definitely would have considered it. It would have been an easy commute from the Hill for us and I think would have drawn a very integrated student body. I'm not sure why all the progressive charters have to be located outside of Wards 7 and 8 ...

I have heard part of the problem is DCPS not releasing shuttered school buildings to charters.

While a short one-way from the Hill, going east and then back west, especially over the backed-up brides, is not an easy overall commute.

We are fairly close to the Blue/Orange/Silver lines on the Hill, and I definitely would have considered hopping on the Metro for a few stops east if the school was close to the Metro exit. I think you'd find a lot of families willing to do the same from Eastern Market, Potomac, and Stadium Armory stops.

Not "easy" but nothing about schools really is in this town!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is one of the families that OP was referencing. We bought EOTR (Ward 7) for a single family home with a nice yard and mortgage that would still allow us to live fairly comfortably. We did not, however, think that the schools in Ward 7 would be an option -- my now 3rd grader started in private and is currently in a charter in Ward 5, where my almost 3 y.o. will also mostly likely attend in the fall. Outside of the introduction of a Spanish Immersion program at Houston and rumors of a gifted MS program at Sousa, it doesn't appear that DCPS is focused on increasing options for the families OP described. There are schools like KIPP and DC Prep in Ward 7, but even those have extensive waitlists due to the state of the neighborhoods schools. It's a pity because I know quite a few families like ours (professional, relatively high SES) with kids ages from 0 to 10 who pay for private or haul their kids across town for an acceptable education who would love to invest their time and energy in a great local school. Not happening tho

We are also a Ward 7 African American, high SES family with young children and our DD is starting pk3 this year. We likely visited 15 schools to find the right fit for our family, with commute, environment, curriculum, etc. in mind. The main difference we noticed in EOTR schools is the focus on discipline and the way they talk to the students which was not present in any schools we visited WOTR. So, even KIPP and DC Prep are not for us.

I think there could be a real draw in a progressive charter locating in Ward 7 or 8. If Breakthrough Montessori had been located near the Capitol Heights metro (which I think was one location floated, although they always said they wanted to be in Ward 1 where they ended up) we definitely would have considered it. It would have been an easy commute from the Hill for us and I think would have drawn a very integrated student body. I'm not sure why all the progressive charters have to be located outside of Wards 7 and 8 ...

I have heard part of the problem is DCPS not releasing shuttered school buildings to charters.

While a short one-way from the Hill, going east and then back west, especially over the backed-up brides, is not an easy overall commute.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is one of the families that OP was referencing. We bought EOTR (Ward 7) for a single family home with a nice yard and mortgage that would still allow us to live fairly comfortably. We did not, however, think that the schools in Ward 7 would be an option -- my now 3rd grader started in private and is currently in a charter in Ward 5, where my almost 3 y.o. will also mostly likely attend in the fall. Outside of the introduction of a Spanish Immersion program at Houston and rumors of a gifted MS program at Sousa, it doesn't appear that DCPS is focused on increasing options for the families OP described. There are schools like KIPP and DC Prep in Ward 7, but even those have extensive waitlists due to the state of the neighborhoods schools. It's a pity because I know quite a few families like ours (professional, relatively high SES) with kids ages from 0 to 10 who pay for private or haul their kids across town for an acceptable education who would love to invest their time and energy in a great local school. Not happening tho

We are also a Ward 7 African American, high SES family with young children and our DD is starting pk3 this year. We likely visited 15 schools to find the right fit for our family, with commute, environment, curriculum, etc. in mind. The main difference we noticed in EOTR schools is the focus on discipline and the way they talk to the students which was not present in any schools we visited WOTR. So, even KIPP and DC Prep are not for us.

I think there could be a real draw in a progressive charter locating in Ward 7 or 8. If Breakthrough Montessori had been located near the Capitol Heights metro (which I think was one location floated, although they always said they wanted to be in Ward 1 where they ended up) we definitely would have considered it. It would have been an easy commute from the Hill for us and I think would have drawn a very integrated student body. I'm not sure why all the progressive charters have to be located outside of Wards 7 and 8 ...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is one of the families that OP was referencing. We bought EOTR (Ward 7) for a single family home with a nice yard and mortgage that would still allow us to live fairly comfortably. We did not, however, think that the schools in Ward 7 would be an option -- my now 3rd grader started in private and is currently in a charter in Ward 5, where my almost 3 y.o. will also mostly likely attend in the fall. Outside of the introduction of a Spanish Immersion program at Houston and rumors of a gifted MS program at Sousa, it doesn't appear that DCPS is focused on increasing options for the families OP described. There are schools like KIPP and DC Prep in Ward 7, but even those have extensive waitlists due to the state of the neighborhoods schools. It's a pity because I know quite a few families like ours (professional, relatively high SES) with kids ages from 0 to 10 who pay for private or haul their kids across town for an acceptable education who would love to invest their time and energy in a great local school. Not happening tho

We are also a Ward 7 African American, high SES family with young children and our DD is starting pk3 this year. We likely visited 15 schools to find the right fit for our family, with commute, environment, curriculum, etc. in mind. The main difference we noticed in EOTR schools is the focus on discipline and the way they talk to the students which was not present in any schools we visited WOTR. So, even KIPP and DC Prep are not for us.

So did you go charter? If you didn't get into a WOTR charter, what was your plan?

I would expect KIPP would say the same thing. I don't know DC Prep, but if its target population is the same as KIPP's, it likely isn't meant for you either.

I am a Ward 7 resident as well with two kids approaching PK3. What EOTR schools did you consider? Any thoughts on Randle Highlands?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is one of the families that OP was referencing. We bought EOTR (Ward 7) for a single family home with a nice yard and mortgage that would still allow us to live fairly comfortably. We did not, however, think that the schools in Ward 7 would be an option -- my now 3rd grader started in private and is currently in a charter in Ward 5, where my almost 3 y.o. will also mostly likely attend in the fall. Outside of the introduction of a Spanish Immersion program at Houston and rumors of a gifted MS program at Sousa, it doesn't appear that DCPS is focused on increasing options for the families OP described. There are schools like KIPP and DC Prep in Ward 7, but even those have extensive waitlists due to the state of the neighborhoods schools. It's a pity because I know quite a few families like ours (professional, relatively high SES) with kids ages from 0 to 10 who pay for private or haul their kids across town for an acceptable education who would love to invest their time and energy in a great local school. Not happening tho

We are also a Ward 7 African American, high SES family with young children and our DD is starting pk3 this year. We likely visited 15 schools to find the right fit for our family, with commute, environment, curriculum, etc. in mind. The main difference we noticed in EOTR schools is the focus on discipline and the way they talk to the students which was not present in any schools we visited WOTR. So, even KIPP and DC Prep are not for us.

So did you go charter? If you didn't get into a WOTR charter, what was your plan?

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